Plans for a £46 million leisure park, including a new home for Southend United, were being submitted to council chiefs today (Monday).

Blues' owner, Martin Dawn plc, wants to build the Third Division club a 16,000-capacity all-seater stadium as the centrepiece of a major development on the Fossetts Farm site in Eastern Avenue.

The proposed football arena, which would cost £12.5 million, would be joined on the 80-acre plot by various leisure facilities such as a hotel, cinema and restaurants - similar to Basildon's Festival Leisure Park complex.

Southend's major shareholder, Ron Martin, was delighted to have finally shown his hand and described the plans as "good news for the whole town".

He said: "These plans are a massive boost for the whole of Southend. They represent a major part of the town's regeneration and will cater for everyone, not necessarily just football fans."

Mr Martin's Billericay-based development company, Martin Dawn, would carry out the construction work.

The firm has stalled on pushing forward with its ambitious plans for the past six months, putting the blame on a series of unsuccessful attempts to purchase a strip of the Fossetts Farm site from Billericay company Lansbury Developments Ltd.

Finally the company has had to call on the help of Southend Council to get the ball rolling.

The football club has less than three years to relocate after the £4 million sale of its current Roots Hall base.

Now, in order to help speed up the development, the council has agreed to invoke compulsory purchase powers on the land. It means Lansbury Developments will have no choice but to sell to Martin Dawn.

Mr Martin said: "This site can only be used for the relocation of Southend United, following the local plan inquiry in 1996. However, despite lengthy negotiations, we have had trouble purchasing a piece of land integral to our plans.

"We haven't been able to come to an arrangement with the land's owners Landsbury and have had to approach the council for assistance.

"The council in turn has demonstrated its commitment to the football club by agreeing to put compulsory purchase powers into operation to acquire the site and enable our relocation plans to proceed."

Mr Martin also revealed the Inland Revenue has decided to take legal action against the cash-strapped Blues - who are losing £100,000 a month - to clear a £400,000 debt.

Mr Martin said: "When we took over at Roots Hall, the Inland Revenue debt stood at £900,000, which has been steadily reduced. But now this legal action hands us another financial problem, which I'm hopeful that we can resolve as soon as possible."

Sporting chance - an artist's impression of the new stadium, part of a major leisure development

By Bernie Friend

Reporter's e-mail: bernie.friend@notes.newsquest.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.