WORK will start as soon as possible on putting right a village's controversial playing field after planners granted permission for improvements to be made.

The application to regrade banks and add topsoil at the Spittlefields site in Welland was agreed by Malvern Hills District Council's southern area planning committee on Wednesday (June 12).

The plan was submitted by Little Malvern and Welland Parish Council, in the hope of ending a problem dating back to the mid-90s. The site is just west of the Hanley Swan road.

Plans to use the site as a playing field were drawn up in 1995 and included the addition of 7,335 cubic metres of earth to make the land level. In the event, 19,200 cubic metres excavated from the building of Waitrose in Great Malvern was dumped by contractor Penrose Ltd.

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

Roger Cousins, chairman of the parish council, said: "We're very pleased by this news. We are writing to the contractors with whom we have agreed provisional terms and, hopefully, they will be able to start work as soon as possible.

"The work will be done definitely this summer and we hope the pitch will be seeded in September and ready for the first match by the New Year."

The pitch will provide a base for Welland Youth Football Club, which currently has no home and has to play at various pitches in Upton and Malvern.