THE council is preparing to hand £750,000 to the county’s FA to help pay for a major revamp of a football ground.

Worcestershire Football Association (WFA) said it needs the final bit of cash to complete the redevelopment of Claines Lane in Worcester which includes a new artificial 3G pitch, a 100-seat stand and new floodlights.

WFA was given permission to demolish the existing facilities at Claines Lane in Worcester and build a new clubhouse, changing rooms and offices for its new headquarters.

Despite gaining permission for the redevelopment by the city council’s planning committee almost a year ago, WFA has yet to secure all of the money needed to carry out the redevelopment.

WFA said it has made requests to several bodies for money and has now approached the council for a loan for the remaining £750,000.

Around £1 million has already been secured from The Football Foundation - money handed from Premier League football clubs, the Football Association via government body Sports England - to help improve grassroots football as well as several other smaller grants.

WFA has said it will also use around £300,000 of its reserves to help pay for the work and using the money it brings in from selling its current offices in Hampton Lovett, near Droitwich.

County football bosses have said they may not use all of the £750,000 it borrows from the city council and has also allowed for some leeway in case any unexpected costs arise. WFA said it would prefer to pay off the loan over a 40-year period rather than the usual 25 years but may not necessarily use all of the loan and would only take what it needed from the overall pot of money.

Talks between the city council’s party leaders and council bosses have been held in the last month about the possibility of Worcester City FC moving to Claines Lane.

Discussions between the exiled club’s shareholders and supporters trust held last week centred on whether the club could ground-share with Worcester Raiders, who are having to play away from Claines Lane because of the refurbishment, or hand over the club to Worcester Warriors owners Bond Group and play at Sixways.

Much of the work was expected to have been completed by September in time for the start of the new season.

The full cost of the redevelopment, expected income from the new facilities and a complete breakdown of the secured funding is included in confidential papers due to be discussed by the city council’s policy and resources committee next Tuesday (December 10).