Bristol City has found an unlikely friend in its bid to develop a new 30,000-seater stadium in Ashton Vale – the credit crunch.

The Championship club yesterday launched the first of three exhibitions to show the public what it has in mind – although as yet there are no pictures or models of what the stadium might look like.

Chairman Steve Lansdown told the Bristol Evening Post it was too early to talk about costs or the detail of how these will be met.

But he said: “The good news is that costs are coming down because of the global economic downturn. The construction industry is suffering.”

Mr Lansdown said firms would be particularly keen to find projects to work on. “We aim to take advantage of that,” he said.

Mr Lansdown also said the facility to extend the new stadium to 42,000 seats for special events – which would make it eligible to host World Cup matches – was still being considered.

The Football Association is currently seeking to hold the World Cup in England in 2018.

But an application to host games in Bristol would have to be made by the city council, not the club.

A music arena – like the one the South West Regional Development Agency turned down close to Temple Meads last year – is not part of the club’s plans at the moment.

But Mr Lansdown said: “It’s something we keep getting asked about. It’s up to the local authorities.”

The club chairman has already bought the site for a new stadium as part of a joint venture between his family and a construction firm.

The 42-acre site borders the David Lloyd fitness centre, the Long Ashton park and ride, Silbury Road and Ashton Drive, south-west of Winterstoke Road and around half a mile from Bristol City’s existing stadium at Ashton Gate.

On the drawing board alongside the stadium are two possible areas of housing at opposite ends of the site, shops, a rapid bus route, flood balancing pond and “ecology corridor” around the edges.

The club intends to put in planning applications to both Bristol City Council and North Somerset Council early next year.

The scheme straddles the border between the authorities, but planning consultants say the councils are working closely together on the project.

Concerns about flooding, about the use of a former landfill site and its proximity to the Yanley municipal site nearby, which has only just closed, were raised by Ashton Vale residents at the first of three exhibitions on the stadium plans yesterday.

Other members of the public who attended at the Ashton Gate stadium raised worries about transport, parking and traffic congestion.

They were assured that flood risk assessments and ground investigations for toxic materials would be carried out as part of the planning application.

Consultant Hugh Scanlon, of Nathaniel Lichfield, which is acting for City, said: “We are not here today necessarily to answer all these questions.

“We want to find out what people’s concerns are so that we can give them full consideration as the scheme moves forward.”

Around 86,000 people watched Bristol City in the championship play-off match at Wembley last season. The present stadium, which has been the club’s home for 100 years, only holds 20,000 spectators.

City says it needs to expand but it would be much more expensive to do so on its present site.

The club’s supporters’ trust surveyed more than 3,000 fans. “There was overwhelming support for a new stadium,” said trust board member Miles Hendy yesterday.

Supporters’ club vice-chairman Tony Gissing said: “Ashton Gate has had a magnificent history.

“No one will ever forget it. But the club is moving forward. We have to have the facilities.”

Two more public exhibitions will be held:

Tomorrow, at Long Ashton Village Hall, from 10.30am to 2.30pm and from 4pm to 7.30pm.

Saturday, at the Premier Suite at Ashton Gate, 10.30am to 5.30pm.