WORCESTER councillors are to pay a special visit to a site on the outskirts of the city expected to be turned into a thriving business park.

Councillors will convene on Grove Farm, off Meadowbank Drive, St John's, to see if the site is ready for major regeneration. The authority wants to develop more than 11 hectares of the 19-hectare site to create 27 office blocks and industrial units.

The huge scheme, which would create up to 4,000 jobs, has been dogged by delays ever since plans were first revealed in March 2006.

It is hoped the site visit on Thursday, May 24, will help prepare the city council for a public vote by the planning commitee later in the year.

Chairman of planning Councillor Robert Rowden said: "The site visit will be a private one so members of the planning committee can get an idea of what might go where.

"There is no substitute for seeing things on the ground, and the plans for the site depend on us having this site visit before we can make a truly informed decision."

Confirmation of the visit is the first sign in many months that the Grove Farm regeneration plan is moving forward.

It has been delayed all this time because of various concerns about the scale of the development, what it would mean for wildlife such as barn owls, and car congestion.

The city council has been in talks with developers Spen Hill about it prior to approving the site visit.

The project has been opposed from the start by campaign group Grove Farm Residents Voice because of pollution and congestion concerns.

Group spokeswoman Leesa Laird said: "I didn't know the councillors were planning to have a look at the site, but I'll let the members know."