AS KEEN readers of this fine publication will know, the long-awaited planning application for Worcester City FC’s proposed new stadium in Perdiswell has finally been officially submitted and is open for comments.

Devotees of my weekly column – yes, both of you – will be well aware of my position in regards to the plans. I have countless fond memories of wandering down to The Lane to cheer on the City boys and, while Aggborough is a fantastic stadium and Harriers have been really good to us, I’d much rather see the team back in Worcester.

But that’s the problem.

While the first reaction of any supporter to the plans is to yell “Bring City home!” from the rooftops – although don’t actually do this unless you want to spend a night in the cells in Castle Street – this counts for absolutely nothing in terms of whether the planning application is permitted.

Anyone who knows a little about the planning process knows there is a very strict set of criteria upon which applications are decided. The impact on traffic, wildlife and people already living in the area as well as employment and the environment are among these. The fact that lots of people really, really want it to go ahead is not.

So it’s disappointing to see how many of the scores of comments already registered on the city council’s online planning register say nothing more than just “It’s time to bring City home”.

Not only is this a waste of the opportunity to comment on the application, it’s also a waste of planning officer’s time – time which would be much better spent looking at the finer details of the plans.

Having to look through every single comment made on every application is hardly an enviable job at the best of times, so anyone wasting the city council’s planning officer’s time with irrelevant comments is hardly helping.

Even if the real reason you want the stadium to go ahead is so the team are back in Worcester, there are plenty of other reasons to support the application.

The increase in facilities for young people, the potential improvement in the environment and the impact on the economy are just a few of these.

Keeping your comments to strict planning concerns is better for everyone.