BRINGING a new football stadium to Perdiswell in Worcester could help make the area a significant sporting site for the whole county, supporters claim.

Worcester City FC Supporters Trust wants to build a new 4,100 capacity stadium in Perdiswell to bring the team – currently playing its home fixtures in Bromsgrove – back to the city.

And, with Worcester's brand new swimming pool opening with much fanfare in Perdiswell last weekend, the supporters say there is a chance to make Perdiswell a real hub for sport.

Fears of traffic problems and gridlock along already-busy Bilford Road have been cited as concerns by many opposed to the stadium plans.

But although more than 6,000 visitors flocked to the new pool over the weekend, Worcester City Council says it did not receive "any reports" of traffic issues in the area.

Rich Widdowson, a member of the Worcester City FC Supporters Trust team responsible for putting the stadium plans together, said: "We have always stated that a new football ground would not have a negative impact on local residents.

"The extra parking in our plans would benefit the pool and sports centre for the 330 days of the year when there would be no games.

"Perdiswell should be a regional sporting site for the county, not just the city."

"We believe our plans, which are set up for multi-sports, will be of significant benefit to the whole city and they will have overwhelming public support."

Although the stadium plans were originally submitted back in 2014, they are yet to come before the city council's planning committee.

A spokesman for the council said the "onus is on Worcester City FC's Supporters Trust" to demonstrate that traffic congestion in the area will not be a problem.