Ron Martin hints a new backer is on board for fabled Southend United stadium

Mr Martin told the club’s supporters at an AGM, he was “energetically” making the new stadium happen and that the three-sided new home could be ready by summer 2017.

Stadium plans have stalled in recent years due to the uncertainty surrounding the Blues’ current home at Roots Hall, which was originally lined up as the site for a new Sainsbury’s supermarket.

However, Mr Martin is now pushing ahead with the stadium without waiting for Sainsbury’s, which has helped bail out the club with the taxman in recent times.

Mr Martin told the meeting: “I can’t tell you who is partnering us in the project until June, but stadium plans are proceeding and have more pace than they did during any time under the Sainsbury’s banner.

“We have all the ingredients in place and I don’t see anything on the horizon that can prevent this project from going forward.”

Mr Martin also revealed that while the Blues are still contracted to the Sainsbury’s, it is unlikely the supermarket giant would build a large superstore on the club’s current ground having shelved similar plans for stores across the country.

He is already preparing a new planning application for the new stadium to be submitted in June. It is thought to include plans for a 12-screen cinema and 170 apartments and shops.

Mr Martin said: “The reason I don’t make statements about the stadium is because it’s commercially sensitive.

“With regards to Sainsbury’s, we remain contracted to them. Whether or not theywill build a store on Roots Hall I don’t know.

“They are unlikely to build their very large store as they’ve shelved a number of similar schemes across the country. With that uncertainty I have looked at other ways of funding the stadium without putting the club in debt.

“We’re planning a revised application for the west stand with the submission of a comprehensive application by June. At that time I will make a public statement.”

Ron Martin

He added: “There’s no future for the club at Roots Hall and it would cost a fortune to stay there and limit the amount of money that can be invested in the team.

“The retail market has come back in the last 12 to 15 months that provides us with an opportunity.”

Mr Martin also revealed he had lined up a tenant for a planned hotel at Fossetts.

Pipe dream? - a CGI of the Sainsbury's on Roots Hall

Sainsbury's refuses to answer questions on its plans

Sainsbury's has refused to answer any questions on its future plans for Roots Hall despite Blues boss Ron Martin ruling out a large superstore.

The supermarket giant said it is still in discussions of a commercially sensitive nature with the club, but its chief executive Mike Coupe has previously said his firm was no longer building as many bigger superstores as initially planned due to its market performance.

Sainsbury’s made a pre-tax loss of £290million in the first half of 2014, but previously had plans to build a new superstore on Southend’s ground and also to buy up the vacant Prospect College site next door.

The college’s principal Neil Bates tried to sell his site to Lidl earlier this year, but claims his land has been blighted by Southend Council after it agreed to use compulsory purchase orders back in 2012 to speed up the Sainsbury’s deal with the Blues.

Mr Bates said he now wants a judicial review of that decision.

He said: “Ron Martin’s statement is confirmation the scheme that has planning approval from the council is no longer proceeding and now the council must withdraw its decision for a CPO because it’s blighting our land.

“Our lawyers have written to the council asking for an urgent meeting. If no progress is made, we will have to ask for a judicial review because we have to release the site.

“It has cost us £500,000 to hold the site, over the last five years.”

But council leader Ron Woodley – who did not make the decision in 2012 – refuted the authority has blighted the land, suggesting any sale would negate the need for a CPO.

He said he has held meetings with Mr Martin and Mr Bates in order to break the deadlock, and hopes Mr Martin follows through on his latest statement after years of inaction at Fossetts Farm.

He said: “Ron can’t keep forever saying it is going to happen this year or next, and one of these days I hope there is substance behind what he says.

“If they have a new backer we wish them every success for the new planning application.”

Sainsbury’s refused to answer any of the Echo’s questions we put to it.

Mr Martin said Sainsbury’s would be repaid following for its help in bailing out the taxman even if it doesn’t end up bankrolling the stadium move.

The money would come from the club’s parent company South Eastern Leisure (UK), which owed £8.7million to creditors in its 2011/12 accounts.