Worcester City Football Club's plan for the Nunnery Way stadium has been approved by the narrowest of margins.

In the past few moments councillors voted 6-5 in favour although the plan still has to be approved by the Government.

Worcester City Council planning committee took three hours to make up its mind, which takes the relocation of city FC away from St George's Lane and over to Nunnery Way one step closer.

Because of the pre-existing sale of the football club's current site in Barbourne, Worcester City FC must move off the site by 2013 whatever happens.

The votes for approval of the plans were; Councillors Geoff Williams, Paul Denham, Alan Amos, Robert Rowden, Steve Hodgson, and Aubrey Tarbuck.

Those voting against a move to approve the building of a new football ground, and grant outline permission to extensive office and hotel developments were; Councillors Andy Roberts, Douglas Wilkinson, David Tibbutt, Pat Agar and Sue Askin.

The debate was fierce, with the club's representatives and the site's developers St Modwen claiming that not passing the proposals "could be ruinous for the club".

However, Coun Roberts during the committee debate said: "If the club folds, then the way I see it we could have a Sunday league team playing in a stadium, but we still end up with all the enabling development [offices, hotel].

"That's not a good deal."

But a majority of his colleagues were unmoved and were 'minded' to grant approval.

Coun Geoff Williams reminded his colleagues they were only here to "discuss the planning application" and not delve into the "long and chequered history" of the football club's plans to move.

The plans now go before Eric Pickles, the secretary of state for planning and local government who will make the final decision on whether the scheme gets the go-ahead.

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