WELLAND and Hanley Swan may never get a mains gas supply unless the Government provides a source of funding.

Tom Wells, who represents the area on the county and district councils, has spent eight months investigating the issue.

He said he has drawn a blank over getting gas mains installed and will now ask Malvern Hills District Council to lobby the Government for change.

The Welland and Hanley areas have been dogged by power cuts, particularly in last year's storms.

But gas companies say it is too expensive to install a mains supply, which would provide an alternative to electricity.

Hope had been resting with Moorland Utilities, which suggested it could subsidise the installation costs and take a percentage of users' bills in return.

Moorland initially suggested that 25 per cent of residents needed to express an interest for the project to be viable, but this was later changed to 75 per cent, a figure Coun Wells said was a "distant hope".

Other utility companies have surveyed the area but all have quoted around £3,000 per resident to equip the area.

Coun Wells said the only way the area would get a mains supply was if the Government provided some sort of grant or funding towards it.

He plans to put a motion forward asking the council to push the Government's attention towards the problem. He also encouraged residents to write to West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer to make their feelings known.

"I think something has to happen with industry because if it's left to market forces Hanley Swan and Welland will never get a mains gas supply," he said.

"The Government needs to take a strategic look at energy supplies in rural areas."