OPINION in last week's Malvern Gazette & Ledbury Reporter (Novem-ber 15) raised two serious questions affecting the future of Malvern that merit further debate.

To deal with the future of North Site is relatively simple.

I have yet to hear a single dissenting voice from any quarter that its future use should be that of mixed residential/employment. Therefore the issue is an easy one to resolve.

However, when we come to the issue of future office accommodation for MHDC the debate has the potential to become as heated as it could be divisive.

It could prove nigh on impossible for the current leadership of MHDC to justify flogging off its assets in order to expend £4.6 million on a new headquarters, particularly when it cannot find the money for a stand-alone sports hall for Malvern.

If that is not enough to make them take a breath before proceeding, perhaps they would like to explain to the traders of Great Malvern, about whom they are so concerned (Malvern Gazette, October 18) they are waiting until next September to appoint a town centre manager, why they are looking at relocating over 200 of their customers away from the middle of town?

I could go on by raising the potential for yet more local government restructuring in the not too distant future that might render the whole project obsolete before it even comes to fruition.

In conclusion, might I suggest the way forward is for the current MHDC leadership to postpone any further action on this proposal until they have taken their case to the people of Malvern in a consultation exercise.

It could well be that they are justified in what they are proposing and that a 'carrot' along the lines suggested by your editorial could be offered at this stage.

To plough on regardless would be a grave error.

Clive Smith, Greenfields Road, Malvern Link.