Latest bid to put town on tourist radar - The Malvern Observer

Latest bid to put town on tourist radar

Malvern Editorial 14th Oct, 2015 Updated: 20th Oct, 2016   0

AMBITIOUS plans have been unveiled to build a ‘futuristic’ observatory at the top of the Malvern Hills and a national radar museum in the town centre.

Malvern For All Limited – the group behind the controversial cable car project – announced its proposals at last week’s Business Expo at the Three Counties Showground.

Mark Young and Roger Sutton, co-directors of Malvern For All, revealed they had attracted a ‘major international infrastructure company’ to help them with their efforts to make the town a centre for science.

Malvern Radar and Technology History Society currently captures and maintains information and artefacts relating to the history and heritage of the area and Mr Young said Malvern For All’s project would help to showcase their work.




“The hub of this proposal is a National Radar Museum to be located in the centre of the town,” he said.

“The development of the radar in Malvern made a contribution to the war effort at least as important as the work carried out on the Enigma Project at Bletchley Park, but has not been properly appreciated.”


Mr Young said they intended to extend the ‘museum concept’ to the cable car base stations with interactive displays relating to the science of the hills, while the summit observatory would explore Malvern’s past, present and future.

“Together with the cable car for access and a base station providing further exhibition and museum space the interactive facility will provide exciting educational experience involving astronomy, flight tracking, radar, meteorology and cyber and other technologies within the futuristic observatory,” he added.

There are also plans to recreate the ‘camera obscura’ which was a feature of the café at The Beacon in the Victoria times.

And Mr Sutton, who is also a member of High Street Malvern, said he was confident the project would boost tourism in the town.

“It will bring 500 people a day through the town, minimum,” he said. “And if they spent £10 each, that’s £5,000 a day going into Malvern’s economy.

“That would make a big difference to a lot of small shops who are okay at present, but they are not making a lot of money.

However, Beck Baker, of Malvern Hills Conservators, which has previously spoken out against Malvern for All’s plans, added: “Our position remains the same – this scheme is illegal and that’s all there is to say.”

“We voted against it and it is not something which would happen,” she added.

* What do you think about Malvern For All’s latest proposals? Do you think a science museum and an observatory would be good for the town? Or maybe you think it would have a detrimental effect on the overall apearance of the hills? Email your comments to [email protected]

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