A PIECE of the city's '"industrial heritage" could be turned into 23 houses and offices.

But the application to turn the Cinderella Works - between Bransford Road and Bromyard Road in St John's - into three and four-bedroom houses has been met with a series of objections.

The plan - which is due to be voted on at Thursday's Worcester City Council planning committee meeting - also includes provision for the revamp of the adjacent sports ground.

The plan would mean the Cinderella Works, a designated Building of Local Significance will be demolished.

The city council's conservation officer, and the Conservation Areas Advisory Committee have strongly objected.

And nine nearby homeowners have said the new houses will cause traffic congestion.

Homeowners are also worried about possible disturbance during demolition works.

Sport England is concerned that a substantial portion of the playing field will be lost to development.

Much of the site is "employment land", and planners fear losing space allocated to create jobs.

Councillors sitting on the committee have been recommended to refuse the application, because of conservation worries, the loss of employment land, and because the plan makes no provision to boost sustainable transport routes to the area.

Ralph Dunham, vice-chairman of the Worcestershire Industrial Archaeology and Local History Society backed the city council's stance.

"As a society we would prefer to keep as many industrial buildings as possible.

"Too much industrial heritage has been lost in the city."

He said the society would like to see the building converted or reused in some manufacturing capacity.

The Cinderella factory was named after a brand of boots made by the shoe company, Willis, which moved into the factory in 1914.

In its heyday, the factory produced 750,000 shoes a year.

The conglomerate behind, Kays - Great Universal Stores - took over the works in 1960.

Production from the site eventually stopped altogether in 1984.