A £750,000 scheme to refurbish a sewage works which serves some 300 homes in West Malvern is to go ahead next year.

Severn Trent is upgrading the plant to comply with new Environ-ment Agency regulations on the quality of discharge into streams.

The work is due to begin in mid-May next year and will not be finished until March 2004.

The sewage plant is off the Mathon road out of the village, along the lane leading to Bank Farm.

Severn Trent spokesman Caroline Hosey said: "Our customers are unlikely to notice anything. The work is done in such a way that service is not interrupted."

She said Severn Trent was committed to spending £1 million a day over the next five years to improve water supply and sewage treatment.

The company said work is unlikely either to generate traffic problems or adversely affect the landscape.