COUNCILLOR Adrian Gregson “cannot see any site in the city other than Perdiswell being suitable” for Worcester City after Parsonage Way got kicked into the long grass.

The Labour representative, vice-chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee that unanimously halted spending on the club’s preferred stadium site on Monday, was the only councillor to speak during the public meeting.

Gregson spoke in favour of the failed bid by City’s supporters’ trust to secure planning permission for a ground at Perdiswell, prompting the club shifting its efforts towards Parsonage Way.

But a report by council officers stated Parsonage Way would be an “unrealistic option” and that no more of the £100,000 of public funds set aside for feasibility studies should be spent.

Gregson backed the report but called for “a rational, hard-nosed discussion” to take place in reviewing the option of Perdiswell, the subject of an ongoing trust appeal to the Planning Inspectorate.

“I think councillors are generally reluctant to say how they feel about (Perdiswell) in advance of any decision,” said Gregson.

“One of the reasons we are in this position is the amount of opposition from local councillors, from two particular parties to any proposal on Perdiswell.

“We have explored Parsonage Way as far as we can, we have explored other sites. My view is we now have to see what happens with this appeal.

“Is it right now that the club or the supporters’ trust start to reconsider their position? To be honest, I cannot see any site in the city other than Perdiswell being suitable.”

On Parsonage Way, Gregson said: “We have spent money on the reports and made the commitment to the club and its supporters but serious issues have come back with that site and the costs of development are prohibitive, which I agree with.

“The ball is in the football club’s court now. The council has committed formally and informally on a variety of fronts, it is down to the club to decide what it wants to do next.”

City’s financial struggles have been exacerbated by ground sharing for the past five seasons, culminating in a three-tier drop to the Midland Football League during the summer of 2017.

Asked whether City’s losses would affect council thinking, Gregson replied: “It is not our business to comment on those dealings.

“What I would say is if we were in a hypothetical situation where some land would be available for the football club to use and they wanted us to lease or sell it, we would be looking at a clear business plan and their viability, as we would with any private business or organisation. But we’re nowhere near that stage.”

On the prospect of City returning to Worcester, he added: “I think it is crucial for the development and maintenance of the club, the support for development of sport within the city and continued growth of Worcester as a place.

“It is one of the things missing from the jigsaw.”

Gregson politely declined to comment on relations between City and its supporters’ trust.

COUNCILLOR GREGSON’S POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE COMMENTS ON PARSONAGE WAY

“I think the report demonstrates we have come to a significant watershed in relation to the football club and its position within the city.

“There has never been any doubt that I and other colleagues on both sides have committed for Worcester City to come back to the city and regain that local confidence and entrenchment they deserve.

“To that end, I was quite heavily involved with the alternatives which presented themselves to the Perdiswell application, not because I disagreed with that application but because there clearly was disagreement with it.

“The practical and pragmatic thing to do was to start looking at other sites that may have some feasible potential.

“When we got to the stage of going through those different sites, this (Parsonage Way) was the one which ticked the boxes for a variety of reasons for the city council to be prepared to commit funds to investigate and come to some sort of conclusion.

“It is with some regret that I agree with this recommendation and am happy to propose it because it is a turning point for what we can do as a city council for the football club.

“It strikes me now that if this particular route has reached a dead end then the only thing that is going to redeem the situation is to have a review of the situation at Perdiswell, for the club, supporters and anyone else interested to sit down and have a rational and hard-nosed discussion about how we continue to strive towards for the aim of Worcester City Football Club and do it in a way that is not going to be fruitless or go along any more garden ways like Parsonage Way,

“I would like to propose the recommendation, I think it is the right thing to do at this stage but I do not think this is the end of the road for the club or anything attached to it.”