MALVERN Hills Conservators' precept is to rise by three per cent, if recommendations are approved at a meeting on Wednesday.

The average rate for a band D property will rise from £22.70 to £23.38 for the financial year 2002-3.

"If you work it out on a weekly basis it's around 50p a week, which is not a high price to pay for the advantage of having the Hills nearby," said board director Ian Rowatt.

He said the rise was in line with inflation, and would be used to cover costs that could not be covered by funding from other bodies.

"We get a lot of grant aid from organisations like English Heritage and the Countryside Agency," he explained. "For example, the sheep and shepherd we have as part of our grazing program is paid for by English Nature, and the Hills have started to attract funding on a national level for the first time for a long time.

"Conservation has moved up the political agenda, and people are realising how important the Malverns are.

"But there are certain things which we will not be able to attract outside funding for."

The extra cash will cover rising office expenses as well as going towards a survey to root out diseased and dangerous trees taking place over the next five years.