HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds could be spent by Worcester City Council on developing the riverside area.

The council has just short of £1m in the coffers, which it received from Arena Leisure for taking control of Pitchcroft racecourse.

Leader of the council, Stephen Inman said that from time to time this money might be used to fund projects of a benefit to the community, such as the Riverside Regeneration Scheme, including improvements to Cripplegate Park, which is facing controversial proposals to extend a car park into its grounds.

"We can't make a decision yet until we know for certain what is the state of the Heritage Lottery Fund bid," he said.

He also said that the planning committee has yet to discuss the proposal.

Linda Sammonds, chairman of the Friends of Cripplegate Park, a voluntary organisation set up to look after the interests of the park for the benefit of the community, said she believes Coun Inman's comment means that there could be funding for small-scale projects in the park. However she remains sceptical.

"We still have concerns that they would want to use public open space to develop a car park," she said.

The application, which is opposed by the Friends, proposes concreting over 21,527sq ft of the 466,733sq ft park - around four per cent.

The council point out that there would only be a net loss of park land of around 1.5 to two per cent once the land incorporated into the park from the demolition of the building formerly at 1-3 Hylton Road and car park are taken into account.

The council says the £32,000 revenue raised from the car park would be spent on maintaining the city's parks.