THERE must have been far fewer cars on the road 50 years ago, but the need for parking space was still a concern.

One controversial plan, which never came to fruition, was to build a new car park on Wells Road, just south of Rosebank Gardens, on a plot called the Grove. This was approved by Malvern Urban Council and the Ministry of Transport but fell foul of the Malvern Hills Conservators.

However, the Priory Ward Electors' Association decided to appeal to guardians of the hills to reconsider and launched a petition backing the car park idea.

The plan was in two stages: the first one was costed at about £3,000 and would have provided 40 spaces on the edge of the road. The second, which would have involved a certain amount of excavation into the side of the hill, would have provided another 40 at the cost of £2,000.

The Conservators objected to the plan because it would have spoiled a beauty spot. But members of the electors' association were of the view that the future prosperity of Malvern made the car parking a necessity.

One member said: "From my own observations over the past 20 years, I think the stinging nettles have vied with the brambles to see which would cover the Grove. If that is what the Conservators consider a beauty spot, I don't."