HEARTS are preparing to spend £1.8 million on land behind Tynecastle's main stand to pave the way for the redevelopment of the ground.

Hearts are in talks with City of Edinburgh Council officials over the site of a nursery adjacent to the stadium as they look to build a new state-of-the-art main enclosure. Council chiefs are expected to meet on Tuesday to discuss whether the proposal merits consultation. The land could be handed over to Hearts by August if their offer is accepted.

The nursery school in the shadows of the ground has been one of the major stumbling blocks in Hearts majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov's plans to revamp the dilapidated main stand. It has also been reported the Gorgie side could pay £1.5m to rehouse the nursery on a temporary site at Wheatfield Road, behind the Wheatfield Stand.

Speaking in a council report, Roy Jobson, director of children and families, said: "The council has been approached by Hearts Football Club to purchase land in council ownership to allow them to redevelop their stadium. One of those areas of land is occupied by Tynecastle Nursery School. The football club are keen to acquire the land during 2006, and accordingly if the council were to proceed with this land deal, the nursery would require to be relocated by August. The whole surplus site, of which the nursery site forms just under half, has been valued at £1.8 million."

Hearts want to redevelop Tynecastle to increase the capacity and improve corporate facilities under Romanov.

However, red tape, including the location of the nursery, has frustrated club officials in their attempt to pave the way for work to begin and, as yet, planning permission is still to be submitted to the council.

Taken from the Scotsman