Worcester city in multi-million pound stadium move

Officials from the St George's Lane club and developer St Modwen Properties have signed an agreement that could see City move into an £8 million ground on the outskirts of Worcester within the next two years.

City's new home, which will have a capacity of 6,000, will be built on a 7.5-acre site at Nunnery Way between junctions six and seven on the M5.

The rest of the 20-acre site, which St Modwen bought for £3.15 million in April, will remain under the developer's ownership and will be used to build office and leisure facilities, which could include a new hotel. The club's current ground, which has been their home for 102 years, will be sold off and used for housing.

The new stadium will secure Worcester City's future and be built to last 100 years, according to the football club's chairman.

Dave Boddy said spiralling debts was one of the main reasons behind the move that could see club relocate to the proposed 6,000 capacity venue at Nunnery Way.

Mr Boddy said it was vital the club moved in order to cancel about £800,000 debts.

"Without a new stadium and the money-generating facilities that a stadium needs to provide for the football club, the football club could not continue," he said. "The debt, which has been sustained over a long period of time, has been strangling the club and this will provide us with a fresh start. We couldn't have gone on at this level of the game for much longer."

St Modwen said it would not build retail outlets on the site because such applications previous to this one had conflicted with the city's Local Plan.

St Modwen's plans are expected to be submitted to Worcester City Council at the beginning of next year and club will own the stadium once it moves in.

Mr Boddy said he was "delighted" the Blue Square North club had finally signed an agreement for a new stadium which has been in the pipeline for 19 years.

"We are building something that is for the next 100 years," he said. "We have been at St George's Lane for 102 years and this is for the next 100 years of Worcester City supporters and it's just so vital that we get the detail right which is why it's taken so long.

"We are very confident St Modwen can deliver what we need to deliver. They have got the planning and financial expertise and the finances are in place. As long as everything goes to plan the stadium will be delivered."

Mr Boddy said, as a born-and-bred Worcester citizen, he hoped the city would get behind the club's plans.

"We are one of the largest urban populations without a Football League club and I would like to think that the future generations and current supporters and people who live in the city will be delighted that they are going to get a first class facility both for the football club and for the community," he said.

Detailed plans will now be drawn up by St Mowden. If the project gets the go-ahead major work will have to take place at the site on the outskirts of the city because there is little or no infrastructure in place.

St Modwen chairman Anthony Glossop (corr), who has lived in Worcester since 1972, said the company which has strong ties with the city was committed to the project.

"I believe sporting clubs are a boost for towns and cities," he said. "When they are winning the city walks taller."

Meanwhile, Worcester City Council chief executive David Wareing said the authority was in full support of the club's proposals to relocate but said the plans would still be subject to scrutiny.