IF the name Malvern Hills Partnership were not enough to put off most people, one look at its agenda would have the average man in the street reaching for the valium.

But lurking beneath the impenetrable 'council-speak' the public needs to be aware that the work being carried out by this new group is going to have a central role to play in how the Malvern Hills district develops over the next 10 years.

The Partnership was set up earlier this year in response to Government legislation which forces local councils to draw up long term plans for the development of their areas in consultation with local people.

Representatives of a large number of Malvern organisations were invited to a meeting at the Bank House Hotel at which a steering group was set up.

Cynics may well dismiss the whole exercise as a big talking shop, but because of the way the legislation has been drawn up the results of the forthcoming public consultation must be enormously influential when the district council sits down to make its plans for the future of the Malvern Hills.

It is slightly concerning that already the Partnership has decided not to offer people a choice of visions for the future of the district, arguing that this would "fail to excite or aid people's understanding of the issues".

While we agree with the Partnership that Malvern does need to change and it is right that our young people should be encouraged to stay with better employment opportunities, there will be many with the equally strong conviction that the town should stay as it is. To appear to exclude their arguments at the outset of the process would seem to be sending out the wrong message.

We hope the Partnership's plans for consultation will be carried out in such a way as to both enthuse the public and make it easy for them to take part.

We would urge everyone with a view of how they would like our town to develop over the next 10 years to make their voice heard.