REDEVELOPMENT plans for the North Stand at Sixways have been shelved.

The scheme to replace the exisiting temporary structure with a 5,000-capacity stand - part of the on-going £23million revamp of the Sixways complex - has been put on hold as the club reappraises the situation.

The delay has come about because Worcester are now looking to improve the east stand as well and want to combine the building work into one project.

Planning permission is in place to up-grade the north stand, but no plans have yet been submitted for the east stand.

The club is currently in talks with planners and designers regarding the new-look East Stand, which is set to feature corporate boxes and restaurants similar to those in the South Stand, and hopes to have the wheels in motion in the next two months.

Charlie Little, the Warriors' general manager, is hopeful that the new proposals will not delay the project greatly, although it is almost certain that Worcester will begin the 2008/09 campaign with the current stands still in place.

He said: "With the situation of the East Stand being close to the pitch and having space behind it, it means we can put in plans to extend the stand and include corporate boxes and restaurants.

"If this is the case, it would bring a quicker return in terms of development costs because the boxes and restaurant will generate extra revenue.

"This is something we are seriously looking into and we have decided to reappraise the situation regarding the building work on the North Stand. Therefore, we don't currently have a date for work to start on improving the North Stand."

The current plans for the North Stand redevelopment would see the exisiting structure, which caters for 1,900 fans, replaced with a permanent stand that would hold 5,000 people. The new stand would be a mixture of a seated area in the top section, terracing in the lower part and more bars and restaurants.

The development would see the Sixways capacity, which is currently 10,197, rise to around 13,200. Depending on the scale of the east stand facelift, the ground's capacity would then rise even further.

Little added: "The improvements we are currently making to our infrastructure will enable us to take the club to the next stage. We want to be competitive with the likes of Leicester and Gloucester.

"At the moment, Gloucester can hold around 16,000 whereas Leicester have 16,500 but have plans in place to increase that over the 20,000 mark.

"We plan to have our capacity up to 15,000 in the next two to three years. Our new traffic systems would allow a maximum attendance of 20,000 and that is our target within five years' time."