WORCESTER City insist St George’s Lane can host top-level Conference football if the club get promoted.

Carl Heeley’s unfancied team have created a stir by hitting the Blue Square Bet North play-off zone after 12 matches.

The impressive start, which has included winning the last three league games, makes a refreshing change for fans after recent relegation scraps.

It has prompted debate as to whether City’s century-old ground is suitable for the Premier, particularly as it will be demolished for housing after June 2013.

The Lane has a ‘B’ grading from the Football Conference, which is good enough for promotion, and officials hope that will be upheld at an inspection to be conducted soon.

But, to retain any place in the higher league, it would need to be improved to an ‘A’ rating by March 31, 2013.

Gradings take into account everything from the number of seats and turnstiles to spectator facilities such as catering and toilets.

However, with the bulldozers set to move in at the Lane in 2013, it is unlikely City would fork out for major improvements beyond maintaining their existing grade.

Vice-chairman Colin Layland said: “As it stands, we have the infrastructure in place to go up unless they find problems we are not aware of.

“If we got promoted at the end of this season, we have a ground for 12 months.”

But the issue of what happens post-Lane is unclear with revisions for the proposed Nunnery Way move not expected to be seen by Worcester City Council until the end of this year.

The club hoped St Modwen’s much-delayed application would be heard this month.

City reckon they can construct a grade ‘B’ ground within their budget — not much over £1.5million — by using modular materials, otherwise known as prefabricated buildings.

Senior planning officer Alan Coleman said council consultants were still waiting for details from the developer before assessing the project’s viability.

Asked when the plans may be seen by the committee, he said: “We hope it would be by December.

“We have asked consultants to look at the viability aspects of the proposal and I know they are waiting for some further information.”

Worcester chairman Anthony Hampson said: “Further delay is unhelpful to the club.”