IT may have taken four years from when the initial blueprints were drawn up to the keys being handed over last week, but Worcestershire now have their very own ‘Grand Design’.

The wraps have been taken off the New Road club’s exciting £10million redevelopment and it is clear the impressive facilities will be a great addition to the club’s offering.

Compared to the run-down petrol station and tired executive facilities that previously occupied that corner of the historic ground, the County have taken a massive leap into the 21st century with the improvements.

Not only will they now be able to boost their revenue by offering a year-round venue for weddings, conferences and social functions, but their match-day facilities are unrecognisable to what went before.

The views from the top two floors of the development are breath-taking and cricket fans will relish visiting the ground, with something on offer for all type of supporters. Executive visitors can be catered for with excellent conference and banqueting facilities on the top floor, while the members’ area on the second level is a great improvement. Non-members are also provided for with a new bar, which could also double as a public-access sports bar outside of match days.

I enjoyed a tour of the facilities yesterday and every aspect of the build seems well thought out and the attention to detail is precise — so much so there are around 250 minor items on the ‘snag list’ which will be ironed out in due course.

While chief executive David Leatherdale conducted the grand tour, one contented visitor we encountered declared the new facilities ‘beautiful’ and you can’t get much better praise than that.

New Road is one of the most historic and beautiful venues in English sport but, like everything else, you have to move with the times or risk becoming a relic to a bygone era.

While the iconic view of the cathedral will forever by intrinsically linked to Worcestershire cricket, no-one could argue that the ground itself had become rather worn around the edges.

The Graeme Hick Pavilion has been a real success and this latest phase of the redevelopment of New Road will further enhance the County’s reputation as one of the nation’s most hospitable places to spend a day watching cricket.

Don’t just take my word for how impressive the new-look New Road is, though, see for yourself.

The club have announced that admission to day four (Saturday) of their on-going LV= County Championship Division Two clash with Hampshire will be free as part of an open day for visitors to have a look around the impressive new multi-million pound set-up. It’s definitely worth a look.