WORCESTER City’s hopes of ending their long spell in exile have taken a dramatic twist after a leaked document revealed a proposal to build a ground on the outskirts of the city.

After months of secret talks, we can reveal council-owned land off Parsonage Way in Warndon, Worcester, has been earmarked as a possible new home for the troubled football club.

The confidential draft statement drawn up by Worcester City Council was intended to be published in March, but discussions are understood to be on-going.

It said a “provisional collective agreement” involving the city council, the football club and Worcestershire Football Association had been reached to push ahead with the plan.

It would potentially see the council offer the club, who have been playing outside of Worcester since 2013, an option on the land and negotiate a long-term lease to them, subject to planning permission.

The document also said the council had agreed to provide financial support to the cash-strapped Midland League Premier Division outfit towards the application.

This throws a spanner in the works to Worcester City’s Supporters’ Trust’s ambitions to create a 4,000-capacity ground in Perdiswell.

David Blake, managing director of Worcester City Council, said: “The document that has been passed to the Worcester News is a confidential draft and has never been signed off.

“It is no secret the city council has been holding talks with the football club, the supporters’ trust and other bodies about potential sites that could be used as a new home for the club.

“Parsonage Way is one of several sites that has been considered.

“No decision has been made about the application for a new stadium at Perdiswell. The application is expected to come before the planning committee in the near future.”

The trust tabled its application to the council in 2014 before it was revised two months ago. But it has been hit with another delay, with the trust being asked to re-submit an Environmental Impact Assessment.

Trust secretary Rob Crean said he was aware of the Parsonage Way discussion but insisted it was “pie in the sky”.

“As a trust we met with the council to look at the alternative sites last year,” he said.

“It took six months and we ruled out anything which was potentially suitable.

“We have looked at Parsonage Way and in terms of the work that needs to be done to get it to an application it would be years away.

“Perdiswell is the priority and we are going to push for it to get it to fruition.

“We are at the last stage now where we are going to get it heard so why would we abandon that for something that is basically pie in the sky.”

According to the leaked statement, discussions were on-going with the tenant farmer on the site and talks had been held with Warndon Parish Council.

However, parish council chairman Ray Morris said he had only heard rumours and any development would cause “uproar” in the area.

“From what I know of that site, it did not strike me as being suitable for a football club, not without an awful lot of excavation," he said. "You are going to be up against the borders of a local nature reserve which is never good.”

The statement also included comments from city chairman Anthony Hampson, who said: “This is a realistic opportunity to bring City home at last, to a new ground that will over time, meet all the needs of our teams and fans.

“This is a chance to build an exciting new future for the club and to meet our short term objective of providing a community-based resource for Worcester City FC.”