CAMPAIGNERS have been hailing a victory after plans to build luxury housing on land next to the Malvern Cube community centre were abandoned.

Worcestershire County Council had until Monday this week to appeal against the refusal of planning permission for the site off Albert Road North.

But when the deadline passed without the appeal being lodged, members of the Malvern Cube Land Campaign became jubilant.

“We wish to thank everyone who supported the campaign”, said campaigner Cathy Jackson-Read. “It’s been a bit of a roller coaster but we got there in the end.

"It was a real community-based campaign, and we'd like to think they saw that and that influenced their decision."

"We now look forward to discussions with the county council on how the land can best be used for the benefit of Malvern Cube and the wider community.”

The county council handed over the Cube, formerly the youth centre, to Malvern Youth and Community Trust, but kept control of land surrounding it, which the campaigners want to retain for community use.

The county council applied for permission to build four luxury homes on the land, but in September, Malvern Hills District Council turned down the application.

Fearing the county council would appeal, the campaign group handed over a petition with over 1,000 signatures at a council meeting in October. However, at that meeting, the council voted down a motion lodged by Lib Dem and Green councillor, calling for an appeal to be dropped.

This week, the council declined to comment on why the appeal had not been pursued. A spokesperson said: "The county council will continue to explore all options for the surplus land at Malvern to maximise its assets for the benefit of the council tax payer in the county of Worcestershire."