THE owner of a business beside one of Malvern's neglected water features has criticised delays to a £1.2m restoration plan following reports that the long-awaited work could finally start this summer.

The Malvern Hills Heritage Project was awarded £740,000 over three years from the Heritage Lottery Fund last November to bring the town's 15 water features back to their former glory.

Now David Armitage, of the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has revealed that work on the first two water features - St Ann's Well and Tank Quarry Clock Tower in West Malvern Road - is about to go to tender.

However, John Redman, manager of St Ann's Well caf, next to St Ann's Well, says he'll believe it when he sees it.

"I won't hold my breath because they've been saying they're going to do this since 1998," he said.

"Anything that improves the area around me up here is good, though.

"It's just also the timing of it as it'd have been better to do it in the winter, when we're closed."

But Mr Armitage said the reason work had taken so long to start was a lack of funding.

The Malvern Hills Conservators, which own St Ann's Well, still has to approve the plans, which include walls being re-pointed, replanting flower beds and re-lining the pond.

Tank Quarry Clock Tower is owned by Malvern Town Council, which has already approved the plans.

"Things are progressing smoothly and it's an exciting and large project we don't want to rush, so we're just pacing ourselves," said Mr Armitage.

Six cattle grids are also being installed as part of the project, some of which are already in place.

Once work starts on the water features, plans are expected to be displayed in the town and are currently at the Conservators' office in Malvern's Grange Road.