FRESH images have been revealed showing off Southend United’s state-of-the-art stadium plans.

Artists’ impressions of Fossetts Farm place the 21,000 seater stadium at the heart of the complex with 360 degrees of entertainment around it.

Club chairman Ron Martin said: “The rear of stadiums is often a forgotten area, one can imagine ‘tumbleweed’ looking at home in many of them.

“We have thought about the stadiums connectivity to the proposed retail and enabling leisure development and how best the stadium and shopping can jointly add to the attraction, via a plaza.

“The club’s new stadium is state-of-the-art and will include a variety of commercial buildings that help fund the construction that facilitates a debt’free stadium to underpin the club’s future.

“Apart from residential, there will be an IMAX cinema, a wide variety of retailers many of which are not represented in the town centre and other complimentary leisure.

 

“These combined uses provide more activity and interest whilst also allowing passers-by the opportunity to see into the seating bowl and the pitch creating the critical mass to provide an enviable environment including the ‘supporters’ walkway’ that leads to the development from Sutton Road.

“The plaza at the rear of the stadium and adjoining the retail/leisure create a natural stepped amphitheatre in which we will hold regular events on both matchdays and non-matchdays to attract shoppers and also bringing supporters to the ground early and leaving later.”

Hilton Hotel signed on to the plans last year, and will present the main frontage, but chairman Ron Martin and co have been key to ensure the rear of the site is not “forgotten”.

An IMAX cinema is also included in the plans, as well as a number of retail and leisure facilities.

Recently, fans overwhelmingly backed the plans for the new 21,000 seat stadium as hundreds signed letters of support at the first home game of the season.

Southend United is still waiting for the plans to be bought in front of the planning committee.