Bristol City Football Club is planning a 30,000 all-seater stadium less than half a mile from Ashton Gate.

Club chairman Steve Lansdown confirmed that City could be playing home games in the new venue by 2011.

Mr Lansdown would not identify the exact location in south Bristol, but we understand that it could be on land less than half a mile away from the existing ground, behind the Long Ashton park and ride and the David Lloyd leisure centre.

Mr Lansdown revealed details of the ambitious multi-million pound project when addressing City shareholders at the club's annual general meeting at Ashton Gate last night.

He informed those present that a scheme to redevelop the existing stadium would not now go ahead.

Mr Lansdown and his fellow directors will instead explore the possibility of constructing a state-of-the-art stadium on a site within the city boundary. The football club has acquired an option on land in the south of the city and expects to complete purchase of the site before December 31.

City's chairman, who is also head of the successful Hargreaves Lansdown financial services business in Bristol, says he has already met local politicians, who he claims have given tacit approval to the scheme.

He will now seek planning permission while conducting an in-depth feasibility study on behalf of the football club.

Revealing his dream for a regional stadium in Bristol City's heartland, Mr Lansdown described this opportunity as "too good to turn down".

He said: "A window of opportunity has opened and, if we don't take it now, it might never come again.

"We see this as a focal point in the regeneration of south Bristol. We are talking of developing a regional venue with Bristol City Football Club at the centre of it. Our aim is to provide a modern stadium for the 21st century with the capacity and infrastructure we need to become a big club in this area.

"Obviously, any new stadium would have to pay for itself, and our aim is to build one without saddling the club with huge debt.

"We don't just envisage a stadium to host football, but a venue that stages all manner of other events and serves the wider community as a whole.

"I'd like us to build something the people of Bristol can be proud of and I would like to see it fully operational in time for the start of the 2011/12 football season.

"I believe this is our last chance to do this and, as such, I'm determined to go for it."

Mr Lansdown has already commenced the process of lobbying political support and last month held meetings with leaders of all three main parties on the city council.

He said: "This is something we have been talking about for a long time now. But we wanted to be very careful and discover whether or not we had the backing of the city council before pressing ahead.

"I've spoken with the three party leaders and various people responsible for planning and, although I don't want to pre-empt any decisions they might make, I believe we do have support for this scheme."

Plans to redevelop Ashton Gate - work was scheduled to start next summer - have now been shelved.

Mr Lansdown confirmed: "We will not now be carrying out a proposal to rebuild the Wedlock Stand. Hopefully, there will be no need to redevelop our existing ground.

"We all love Ashton Gate but there is so little we can do to it.

"This club needs to develop if it is to realise its potential and we believe our supporters will be excited by the possibility of a new stadium. I hope they will be reassured by the fact it will be very much in the club's south Bristol heartland."

The club has been negotiating with the South West Regional Development Agency for three years to try to identify potential sites.

SWRDA development manager Peter Holloway said: "We see south Bristol as an area for growth and we have supported the project ever since we found out.

"What Bristol needs is a top-class stadium, which will attract inward growth to both the city and south Bristol and this is an ideal catalyst for that to happen. It will also be a major boost for any future bid by England to host a World Cup, as stadiums of that size would be ideal for group matches."