THE number of businesses prepared to invest in Great Malvern town centre at present indicates that they, at least, have an optimism for the future of the town that has not always been present, even in the quite recent past.

The plan for a new restaurant and an extension to Olivers Wine Bar, on Belle Vue Terrace, together with retail and housing development on Edith Walk would transform the centre of town.

Add in the possible re-development of the Post Office and you begin to see the potential for a ring of restaurants and live music venues around Belle Vue island, bringing real nightlife into the centre of Malvern and offering a genuine alternative to Worcester.

That this is what many people would like Malvern to become is indicated by the 2,000 people who visited the new Priors Croft bar, opposite Malvern Theatres, last Sunday.

We found a real sense of enthusiasm among people crying out for more sophisticated nightspots than the traditional pub.

When Malvern thrived in the Victorian era and beyond, it was because it was fashionable and to be successful in the future it needs to be so again.

With people working longer and later, that means providing nightlife on the doorstep with an atmosphere that goes on long past midnight.

To thrive again, Great Malvern needs not only to be a destination shopping centre but also somewhere you would want to visit at night.

The potential is there, the developers can see it, the public demand can be seen. Now we need our councillors and planners to have the courage to embrace the future.