THE pedestrian is to be given precedence over the motorist on a Malvern estate after almost £600,000 was earmarked for a revolutionary traffic experiment.

Residents in Duke of Edinburgh Way, Malvern Link, have broadly welcomed news that their area is to become the 'Home Zone' in Worcestershire, created with a total £595,416 Government grant.

Play areas, traffic calming and other pedestrian-friendly changes are to be introduced to roads running through the housing estate.

The grant will pay for re-alignment of the traffic route to slow cars travelling through, re-arranged parking facilities to take parked cars off the street and purpose-built streetside spaces will be provided for meeting, sitting and children's ball games.

"It's good news for Worcestershire, and good news for Malvern," said Maggie Clark, sustainable transport manager at Worcestershire County Council.

"The quality of life among residents in the street will be vastly improved."

Residents will be asked to form a steering group to decide precisely what they want in their Home Zone, one of 61 nationally, as plans take shape.

Lower Road, in West Malvern, was also considered by the council for a Home Zone bid, but just two were submitted, one for Duke of Edinburgh Way and another in Droitwich. The latter was unsuccessful.

"The Royal Estate area is deprived of public open space with no proper young people's play area to speak of," said ward councillor Ann Silk.

Duncan Englefield, 36, of Queen Elizabeth Road, welcomed moves to slow traffic, but was sceptical about other aspects of the scheme.

"Traffic calming would be a very good idea," he said, "A lot of people use this road to cut through to Lower Howsell Road, and they drive too fast - they drive at 50 when they should drive at 30. But I don't think having kids playing on any road, unless it's been completely blocked off, is a good idea."

Neighbour Herbert Dobbs, 83, disagreed. "It's an absolute waste of money," he said. "There's only one way off the estate, and they would be better off spending it building a new road."

However, 58-year-old Margaret Ames, of Duke of Edinburgh Way, said she was in full support.

"It's not before time," she said, describing problems on Friday and Saturday night with speeding traffic and poor visibility at junctions due to parked cars.

George Daffin, 79, also voiced approval. "If it stops traffic belting up and down it will be a good idea, because it's like a racetrack," he said, also highlighting problems crossing due to parked cars.

However, he voiced fears the new fixtures would fall prey to vandals.