A TOWN in the Czech Republic is keen on pursuing a twinning arrangement with Malvern.

However the project will need to win over members of Malvern Town Council before it is possible to proceed.

The Malvern Twinning Association has been working hard over the last 18 months to develop links with the town of Marianske Lazne, a spa resort formerly known as Marienbad.

A party from Malvern visited last April, with dignitaries from Marianske Lazne making a return trip in November.

Now an email has been received from Marianske Lazne suggesting that a partnership agreement between the towns is made and endorsed by Malvern Town Council.

Roger Sutton, of the Malvern Twinning Association, said: “They are very keen for something to go ahead but the European way of doing these things is very much that it should be conducted mayor-to-mayor.

“Progress is being made this is now in the town council’s court.”

However this represents a potential stumbling block, as several concerns were expressed by the council when it considered the matter back in February 2011.

These included the level of involvement that might be expected from the council in the longer term, particularly the financial implications, and also that the towns may be too far apart to maintain a lasting partnership.

But there has been an election since those discussions took place and Twinning Group representatives will now attend the council’s meeting on Tuesday, February 14, for an update.

However town clerk Richard Chapman said the matter would only be formally discussed again if a member put forward an official notice of motion.

Marianske Lazne has a population of about 14,700 – roughly half that of Malvern – and Edward VII was a frequent visitor there.

The town is not far from Graffenberg, where hydrotherapy treatment was pioneered by Vincenz Priessnitz in 1826.

This inspired Dr James Wilson’s concept of the Malvern Water Cure.