MALVERN Town Council is asking people living near Victoria Park, in Malvern Link, what it should do about the park's grandstand.

The council want to know whether it should demolish the structure or refurbish it, which could cost £18,000.

But demolition could also mean disaster for Malvern Athletic Football Club, which needs the facilities to progress in the local soccer league.

The town council has circulated a leaflet among residents, complete with a tear-off-and-send-back sheet containing questions about the grandstand and the park.

But the leaflet has been overtaken by events, as a bid to have the grandstand listed, which is mentioned in it, has failed.

Malvern's Leslie Brown, a reinforced concrete engineer, has heard from the Department of Media, Sport and Culture that his bid had been refused.

He said: "I made the application because it is a good example of 1930s-style reinforced concrete."

He said he was disappointed at the refusal to list the structure, but said he would continue to urge the council to keep it.

Malvern Athletic spokesman Lynn Green said the club would be lobbying the council to keep the grandstand.

He said: "Without it we do not stand a chance of being promoted no matter how well we play."

The club has already had to drop down a division because the facilities at the park were not up to league standard.

n Firefighters were called to put out a fire in the paper bank at Victoria Park at about 9.30pm on Sunday, September 17.

The arson attack came eight days after a similar blaze at the paper bank and another that threatened the nearby health centre.