EXCITING plans for a million-pound centre where the people of a Worcester suburb can play sports and meet are moving closer to reality.

Members of the St Peter's Village Hall Association have joined forces with architects to draw up plans for the land next to Abbotsbury Court.

Since Worcester City Council designated the site for community use, the association has been working with the council and user groups to determine the best way forward.

During the summer, a researcher was employed to find out what facilities the people of St Peter's wanted to see. Association chairman Andy Price said: "This is an important moment, a number of people have worked very hard to keep this dream alive.

"We received enough responses to give us an idea what the main user groups were likely to require, and this encouraged us to draw up an outline design brief."

Plans for the centre, estimated to cost in the region of £1m, should include multi-purpose halls, sports facilities and meeting rooms.

Henry Cairns-Terry, chairman of the association's building committee said: "It is an exciting time to be involved with this project, as we start getting our plans together.

"The Red Hill Baptist Church is making progress with its development on St Peter's Drive, and we hope to develop facilities that are complementary to theirs, to provide something which South Worcester has not really had before, a real focus for community activities."

The church is set to move to the site from Cannon Street, off London Road, to become St Peter's Baptist Church when work on the access begins next month and building work starts next year.

The managing director of Adrian Hutt Architects, Adrian Hutt, said: "We have been involved in this project for a number of years now.

"It is very pleasing to have been invited to help the association develop its plans for the site."