THE fate of a prime site near the centre of Malvern could be settled this coming week after 10 years of uncertainty about its future.

The land on Church Street, between Victoria Road and Albert Road North, belongs to Malvern Hills District Council and was identified as being surplus to requirements in 1998.

Since then the council has considered a number of possible uses - affordable housing, open market housing, retirement flats, doctors' surgery and a new single site for the council offices.

But uncertainty over the council's future office requirements and the nature of the site - it slopes in two directions and there are significant changes in levels - have hampered the site's redevelopment.

In 1999 it was marketed as a whole for affordable housing and FCH Friendship Housing and Care was selected as the preferred bidder but sale negotiations were not completed.

Nigel Snape, head of the legal and governance at the district council, is recommending the council markets it for residential development.

"It is an important and prominent site that merits a high quality development scheme. It is also a difficult site to develop due to the changes in levels."

He added that proposals based on other uses would be considered.

The future of the site will be discussed by the council's executive committee on Tuesday February 19.