THE first meeting of the Malvern Hills Community Planning partnership last Thursday (August 2) was a success, according to participants.

The group was put together by Malvern Hills District Council to prepare the first-ever Community Strategy.

The Local Government Act 2000 gives the council a duty to prepare a strategy, plus new powers to improve the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area.

Forty-five delegates, representing 28 different organisations, came together at the Bank House, Bransford, for the initial meeting.

Everyone showed considerable enthusiasm for the task of producing the strategy and then overseeing its implementation.

Many of them also said how willing they would be to get actively involved in the next stage and to offer expertise and resources where they could.

Chris Noons, of the Government Office West Midlands, said: "I'm very pleased at the progress that has been made and also that the approach that has been taken to develop the Community Strategy is firmly based on balancing the economic, social and environmental concerns facing the district."

Lynne Clearwaters, of Malvern Agenda 21, said: "It was very heartening to see the district council putting into action a key Local Agenda 21 principle, namely getting all sections of the community to work together in partnership with common aims.

"It makes sense for everyone to support each other and hopefully a sound community strategy will enable us to do this."

Also represented at the meeting were church groups from both Malvern and Upton, the police, University College, Worcester, and QinetiQ, the area's largest employer.

The next step will be forming a steering committee to take the process forward. The partnership is aiming to issue its first strategy document in June 2002.