RESIDENTS of Malvern are being invited to help shape the future of the town by taking part in a series of meetings to boost the proposed Neighbourhood Plan

The meetings will take place every day next week at a series of community venues across the town, to make them as accessible as possible.

The Neighbourhood Plan idea comes from the government's Localism Act and is intended to give local communities a greater say in planning affairs.

It is being spearheaded in Malvern by the town council, whose deputy mayor Cynthia Palmer is leading the effort.

She said: "We were so pleased with the number of responses that we received at our workshop in the Abbey Hotel last month that we are now going to hold local neighbourhood events during the first week of June so that we can really understand the things that matter to our residents.

"Between Monday and Friday, we will be in your neighbourhood and we would like to hear from you. If it is parking problems that are important to you or the need for more affordable housing or maybe the lack of facilities for young people please come and tell us.

"We are not promising that we can fix everything, but by including your views in Malvern’s Neighbourhood Plan we can make sure that developers and planners take note of how we would like Malvern to develop over the next 20 years. Join with us in creating Malvern’s Future before others do it for us."

The meetings are on Monday at the United Reformed Church Hall, Worcester Road, Malvern Link, 5-7pm; Tuesday, Barnards Green Cricket Club, North End Lane, 5-7pm; Wednesday, Malvern Vale Community Centre, Swinyard Road, 5-7pm; Thursday, Octagon Community Centre, Brook Farm Drive, 5-7pm and Friday, Great Malvern Library, Graham Road, 10am-noon.

For more information please visit malvernsfuture.org or contact Malvern Town Council on 01684 566667.