Houses decision could net £20m for Southend United

£20m from the sale could go towards improvements at Southend FC's Roots Hall ground

The go-ahead could be given later this month for more than 1,300 homes, which could see £20m released to improve a football stadium.

Meetings are taking place at Southend-on-Sea City Council to discuss the final details of the new homes proposed for Fossetts Farm.

Money from the development will be used to improve the Shrimpers' existing Roots Hall ground.

Negotiations continue for the sale of the club to an Australian businessman.

A consortium led by Justin Rees intends to renovate Roots Hall in Victoria Avenue, and hundreds of homes planned to replace the stadium will instead be built at Fossetts Farm, off Eastern Avenue.

However, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that the money will not be released to the consortium until planning permission is agreed for the new homes and the development of Fossetts Farm begins.

Ron Martin had wanted to build a new ground at Fossetts Farm to replace the Roots Hall stadium but the plans are no longer set to go ahead

The land at Fossetts Farm would be entirely turned over to new homes under the deal, which includes 11 flats and 400 houses.

The finance from the homes will enable the club chairman, Ron Martin, to deliver a promised £20m to the club to help the Roots Hall revamp.

Tony Cox, leader of the council, said: "There's still one or two things to iron out with Ron, that's why we've had to leave it to allow the due diligence to go through.

"We're in a position where we're hopeful, I don't want to be in a position where I have to cancel it but it's our commitment to put that in the diary.

"I'm still confident that it will happen."

Council leader Tony Cox said he was confident Southend United would get the money

The homes are expected to be leased to the council which will then rent them out with an option to buy them for a nominal sum in the future.

Once details of the Fossetts development are agreed, a new planning application will be submitted.

It is likely to be decided relatively quickly with much of the ground work already done under the previous Fossetts stadium and homes plans.

The sale of the club hit a snag when creditors asked for a winding-up petition against the club to take place on April 17.

They subsequently agreed to delay the petition ahead of a new proposed sale date of May 15.