MULTI-million pound plans for a hotel complex in Malvern Link have been put on hold while a legal agreement is sorted out.

Developer John Williams was given outline planning consent in principle for the luxury development off Townsend Way in October 2000.

But the plan has been stalled since then while the agreement with Malvern Hills District Council, known as a Section 106, is negotiated.

This will require Mr Williams, of Colwall, to contribute £70,000 towards the cost of a cycle path linking the Enigma Park estate with the rest of Malvern.

Technically, until the agreement is concluded the planning permission granted more than a year ago can not be activated.

Mr Williams this week said: "We're waiting for the council and we've been waiting for them for months. The ball is really in their court. We cannot really do much more until they contact us."

He said detailed planning applications for the hotel would be ready in the near future.

Mr Williams wants to build a hotel with between 60 and 80 rooms and a separate Roman-baths-style health spa, which would be open to non-residents.

The £5 million plan would create between 120 and 150 jobs on the two-and-a-half acre site.

Council planning officer Rosalyn Field said: "The agreement is with our solicitor and we've just sent a draft to Mr Williams's solicitor. Once that's been signed we can issue outline planning permission and things can move forward."