WORK to revamp Worcester Raiders’ ground and provide a new home for Worcestershire Football Association could start at the end of this season.

Councillors unanimously backed the county FA’s planning application to transform Claines Lane at Worcester City Council’s planning meeting this month.

The plans include the demolition and creation of a new clubhouse which will incorporate changing rooms and office space.

A 100-seater stand and floodlights are also set to be put up where Raiders play their home matches while a further grass pitch is due to be replaced by a floodlit artificial surface.

Worcestershire FA are in the process of purchasing the land off Worcestershire County Council with their headquarters near Droitwich up for sale.

Ward councillor Stuart Denlegh-Maxwell expressed concerns from some residents over the “impact” of floodlighting.

But planning officer Nichola Robinson said the floodlights had been designed to “minimise light spill” on neighbouring properties and the effect on bats.

City councillor Roger Berry said: “It is good to see this site being modernised and brought up to date.

“It is really quite nice to have a prestigious development for Worcestershire FA.

“I hope the money comes from the Premier League to fund it.”

Speaking after the meeting Nichola Trigg, chief executive of the county FA, said she was delighted the proposals had received the go-ahead but insisted the “hard work starts now”.

“Formal submissions now have to go to the various funding partners for the 3G pitch and the changing facilities,” she said.

“That should go in by January and we will get a decision in April.

“Assuming that goes in our favour we should be able to start building at the end of the season.”

Trigg said she also hoped her staff would be relocated to Claines Lane within the next 12 months.

“If everything goes to plan and there are no hiccups we would hope to be operational for football by the end of September, beginning of October and be fully over there by the end of 2019,” Trigg said.

“We have had a lot of co-operation with the leagues that have been made fully aware of the anticipated plans so teams can be scheduled for away fixtures for a number of weeks so that their seasons aren’t affected either.”

The University of Worcester, Pershore High School and Stourport Swifts are among a long list of locations the county FA use to hold classes.

Trigg said their new base at Claines Lane would mean they were no longer “beholden” to other venues and would be able to use their community and training rooms to deliver education programmes.

“This is a big move for Worcestershire football, not Worcestershire FA,” Trigg said.

“We make the site financially viable by moving there because the sale of our premises (in Droitwich) funds part of the cost of the development.

“Without that we would not be able to do it.

“It means that we will be central to all football in the county.

“We are not far off from being central but this will make us even more central and we will be on a football site.

“We can offer a greater range of both facilities and education programmes which are under our control.

“We are not beholden to whatever slots other facilities can give us. That’s the most exciting part of it.”