SOUTHEND United chairman Ron Martin is hopeful work will start on a new stadium in October, with the club now given until the summer of 2014 to start building.

Mr Martin told a fraught meeting of Rochford District Council the construction of the three-sided, 13,942-seater home ground would get under way within “a matter of weeks” – if the remaining hurdles were cleared without problems.

Friday’s Echo revealed a key deal, to sell the Prospects College site to Sainsbury’s, had stalled for the sixth time.

This led the college’s chief executive Neil Bates to say the deal was off, which would effectively scupper the club’s move to Fossetts Farm.

The college site, next to Roots Hall, is needed to provide the main entrance to a new store.

Mr Martin did not address the issue directly at the latest meeting, but told councillors: “Tenders for the work are due back by Saturday and we are very confident they will come in within budget.

“If that happens, we are looking at an October starting date.”

At the latest meeting, councillors were debating whether to grant a three-year extension to the planning permission for part of the Fossetts Farm site that was granted in 2008. This would allow work to start as late as 2014.

Despite Mr Martin’s assurances, Rochford district councillors remained sceptical about the plans.

Colin Seagers (Con, Foulness and Great Wakering) said: “I simply do not see how this will benefit the people of Rochford district.

“There has been no explanation why or how there is any benefit to giving up such a large part of the green belt.

“These grandiose and over-ambitious plans have already failed once, and we don’t know they won’t again.”

Mike Steptoe, the Tory councillor for the Sutton ward that includes the stadium site, raised fears about drainage.

He also called for the overflow car park to be reduced in size to reflect the new three-sided stadium plan.

He said: “I’m very concerned about a number of things that seem to need addressing.”

Despite the criticism, councillors eventually agreed to extend the time limit after officers warned them a refusal would likely be overturned at appeal, potentially costing the council thousands of pounds in legal fees.

Plans for a 22,000-seater were rubber-stamped by the Government three years ago, following a public inquiry.

The site is split, with the main Fossetts Farm stadium and retail park within the Southend borough and the training pitches and overflow car park governed by Rochford district.

Work was due to start in the autumn of 2008, partly bankrolled by a deal with Sainsbury’s to develop the club’s existing ground at Roots Hall, but that fell through when the recession hit.

In April, Mr Martin told fans he expected the stadium to be open next year.

In February, Southend Council approved a revised version of the plans, which will mean only three sides of the stadium are built initially, to keep costs down.

But the club still needed Rochford Council and Southend Council to also agree to extend the time limit on the previous planning permission.

Southend Council now needs to rubber-stamp planning permission for the other half of the site at the next planning meeting, scheduled for July 20.