Worcester City Football Club's ambitious plans for a new stadium in Warndon Villages were under threat today after a senior planning officer said he "could not support" the scheme.

Mark Middleton, the city's head of planning and economic development, wants the stadium at Tolladine Goods Yard instead.

But the club said the suggestion was a "complete non-starter".

In a report prepared for next week's technical services committee, Mr Middleton said he was worried about the impact of the large retail scheme included in the proposal for Nunnery Way.

The club wants permission for a 6,000-seat stadium and at least 150,000sq ft of retail space, with a 1,000-space car park, a third bigger than the retail park planned by St Modwen Developments at Tallow Hill.

The Nunnery Way proposals would cater for a DIY firm and sports goods company.

"This amount of and type of retailing should not be supported at Nunnery Way and the particular requirements of two retailers should not determine the retail strategy for Worcester," reported Mr Middleton.

He described the draft drawings as "misleading" and questioned the amount of parking and pedestrian safety if they had to trek along the dual carriageway.

But the new stadium project leader, David Hallmark, accused the planning officers of being out of touch, and criticised the Tolladine idea.

"It's irresponsible to suggest it," said Mr Hallmark. "Any project in Tolladine is many years away, if at all. The land is contaminated and isn't available anyway because of a Government embargo."

The club would lobby councillors on Tuesday to insist Nunnery Way was retained.

First plan is best

LAND at Worcester's Nunnery Way where the city's football club wants to build a new stadium is still the best place for the project, it has been claimed.

The 20-acre site lies within the city's Green Network.

However, although the city council officers' view is that a stadium is appropriate, the Local Plan says any associated commercial development is "not compatible" with the development blueprint.

"Nunnery Way isn't worthy of the description of a greenfield site," said David Hallmark, the new football stadium project leader.

"It's next door to the M5, it has two high-voltage power lines over it, on the south side it's bounded by the Worcester to Stratford Road, on the west side is the orbital road, and to the north there is the new cattle market.

"I was involved in the development of Worcester Rugby Club and we had full co-operation with Wychavon District Council," Mr Hallmark said today.

"But we've had extreme difficulties with Worcester City Council's planners."

A report by Mark Middleton, the city's head of planning and economic development, to next week's technical services committee, lists a series of objections to the stadium plans, largely because they were based on retail "warehouses".

"Adequate floorspace provision for non-food retail warehousing is accommodated by the current Local Plan allocated sites at Pheasant Street and Tybridge Street," he said.

Mr Middleton said a survey of shopping needs carried out this year had concluded that there was no need for additional warehouses in the next 11 years.

He feared the proposed Nunnery Way shopping complex would "damage the vitality and ability of the city centre", but admitted this needed to be confirmed by a retail impact study.

"I consider that the development is so contrary to so many policies it cannot be supported," Mr Middleton said.

Mr Hallmark claimed the city council officers were "pulling the plug" on the scheme.

"Worcester City Council's planners seem unable to recognise that modern development of sports and leisure facilities by small clubs needs enabling development," he said.

FACTFILE

JUNE 24, 1997: Worcester city councillors consider proposals for new stadium at Nunnery Way "with supporting commercial activities".

The committee resolves to maintain the Local Plan policy of restricting development to just a football ground.

JUNE 28, 1998: Councillors consider the "concept" of a 20,000-seat multi-sport arena up to six storeys in height, with additional development built into the back of the stands.

A unanimous decision is taken to support the idea in principle.

JUNE 29, 1999: The football club unveils a scheme that is different from the earlier design. The stadium is reduced to a 6,000-seater, but would feature far more "enabling development".

This might include a car showroom, petrol station and a garden centre. Councillors continue to show enthusiasm for the move to Nunnery Way.

August 1, 2000: The council's technical services committee will be told the scheme is inappropriate and the goods yard at Tolladine should be considered instead.

WE SAY: It's time for City to bite the bullet

IT doesn't seem three years since Worcester City Football Club first excited us with plans for a new stadium at Nunnery Way.

The Evening News has been steadfast in its backing for the dream and the site - and we remain desperate for City's success on and off the pitch.

But now we accept that Doc Sorensen's brave new world may have to take shape as something other than a gateway landmark on the M5 approach to the Faithful City.

Between June 1997 and June 1999, the club has gone to the city council with proposals for the business scheme it needs to sit alongside the ground and pay for its development.

Each time, the city has repeated its desire to see the club prosper - but told officials that, while a stadium's suitable for the greenfield site, the other ideas aren't.

A fourth proposal, due to be put before councillors four days before City's Dr Martens League programme kicks off next month, drifts even further from the path.

Indeed, the council's list of objections to the latest scheme casts such a large shadow that we can't resist the thought that, in essence, the club's now flogging a dead horse.

Having weighed the evidence, the hard work of its directors and advisers should be refocused on the city council's revival of the idea that City relocate to Tolladine Goods Yard.

Yes, it needs decontaminating.

No, it's not a prestige site which would make such a statement about Worcester to the passing world.

But it would appear to meet all the requirements of the Local Plan, it keeps the club at the heart of the community which it exists to serve, and would almost certainly gain the support it needs at Guildhall.

There are two over-riding factors in its favour: One of the last blots on Worcester's landscape would be removed, and the club could look forward to its target of League football with renewed confidence.