WORK on restoring the playing field at Spittlefields, Welland, has finally started after years of controversy.

Earthmoving equipment has begun work and the area is expected to be usable by September.

Problems at the Spittlefields site date back to the mid-1990s.

Plans to use the land as a playing field were drawn up in 1995 and included the addition of 7,335 cubic metres of earth to make it level.

Instead, 19,200 cubic metres excavated from the building of Waitrose, in Great Malvern, was dumped by contractors Pencroft Ltd.

Three parish councillors and the parish clerk resigned in the ensuing row. The council subsequently reached an agreement with Pencroft to make good the site.

Work was due to begin towards the end of last year, but bad weather made it impossible for machines to get access to the site.

Now work has begun regrading the northern and western banks. Gullies at the side of the A4104 have been filled in and a layer of topsoil has been skimmed off the field to reduce the height.

The sieving of topsoil to remove large stones will begin when the weather improves, as the machine cannot operate in the wet. The sieved soil will then be spread back over the field.

Severn Trent this week installed manhole rings to allow proper drainage.

Roger Cousins, chairman of Little Malvern and Welland Parish Council, said the start of the work was great news.

"It's been a headache but everyone's honoured their word," he said. "We should end up with a nice level playing field. We're really pleased."