From today Echo: Stadium won't figure in next council budget.
Council finance bosses believe work on Southend United's new stadium will not start for at least another 7 months.
Finance chiefs at the Civic Centre are not banking on getting the £7.7 million as part of the Blues stadium deal and have left the figure out of the councils budget, which runs until April next year.
In a report for councillors, head of finance Joe Chesterton said, "The FF project has been removed from the capital programme until certainty of developer contribution can be ascertained"
Under the deal agreed by SUFC last year Southend council will be paid the money to spend on road and town centre improvements in return for granting planning permission for the new stadium. The first £3 million has been underwritten by Sainsbury's which will bankroll the FF development in order to build on Roots Hall. The first £500k will be due to the council from the moment building work starts. Blues chairman RM vowed earlier this summer the project would begin this month but work has still not started.
A new start date has not yet been announced although club insiders said January had been pencilled in by the planners. Finance chiefs are required to make predictions about expected income so the authority can properly plan for future projects. However a club source said the councils number crunching had no influence on the development. The club is still waiting for the authority to approve a time extension for its plans. The source added " at present the construction tenders are being analysed with the preferred contractors and we also await the related planning application to be considered by the council which we hope will be soon".
So no mention of new road plans holding things up then ..*Sigh*
Council finance bosses believe work on Southend United's new stadium will not start for at least another 7 months.
Finance chiefs at the Civic Centre are not banking on getting the £7.7 million as part of the Blues stadium deal and have left the figure out of the councils budget, which runs until April next year.
In a report for councillors, head of finance Joe Chesterton said, "The FF project has been removed from the capital programme until certainty of developer contribution can be ascertained"
Under the deal agreed by SUFC last year Southend council will be paid the money to spend on road and town centre improvements in return for granting planning permission for the new stadium. The first £3 million has been underwritten by Sainsbury's which will bankroll the FF development in order to build on Roots Hall. The first £500k will be due to the council from the moment building work starts. Blues chairman RM vowed earlier this summer the project would begin this month but work has still not started.
A new start date has not yet been announced although club insiders said January had been pencilled in by the planners. Finance chiefs are required to make predictions about expected income so the authority can properly plan for future projects. However a club source said the councils number crunching had no influence on the development. The club is still waiting for the authority to approve a time extension for its plans. The source added " at present the construction tenders are being analysed with the preferred contractors and we also await the related planning application to be considered by the council which we hope will be soon".
So no mention of new road plans holding things up then ..*Sigh*
