A SERIES of surgeries are being held around the Malvern Hills as residents are asked for their views on the development of the district.

Malvern Hills District Council has published its Key Issues Report as it begins the process which will lead to the creation of a new Local Plan, to guide development of the area until 2011.

The plan will cover fundamental issues like the allocation of specific sites for housing development and business land, future retail development and protection for the environment.

It is planning to use the results of the public consultation to draw up a first draft of the plan for early next year. A second stage will follow in the autumn of 2002 with a public inquiry pencilled in for spring 2003. Ultimately, it hopes to adopt the plan in the autumn of 2004.

Worcestershire County Council has recently adopted a ten-year plan of its own, the Structure Plan, which requires the district to find sites for just under 600 homes within Malvern Town to be built before 2011.

Pressure from the Government to recycle land and build on so-called "brownfield" sites rather than greenfield is recognised in the MHDC report, as is the development potential of North Malvern's Army Technical Support Agency base, which has been declared redundant by the Ministry of Defence.

To promote the consultation, planning officers will be available to talk about the issues at sessions planned through this month. They are at the Memorial Hall, Upton-upon-Severn, on Thursday (June 14); Priory Lodge Hall, Malvern, on June 18; Rushwick Village Hall on June 20, Mamble Village Hall on June 21; Kempsey Community Centre on June 25; Tenbury Council Offices on June 26 and Martley Village Hall on June 27. Sessions run from 3pm to 7pm.

Copies of the Key Issues Report and questionnaire are available from 01684 862377.