SOUTHEND United chairman Ron Martin has been given the go-ahead to get the Blues new stadium up and running.

Southend Council this afternoon agreed to the club’s demands to drop the town centre sweetener payment from £6.2million to £3.5million.

However council chiefs told Mr Martin he would have to pay it their way - or the Fossetts Farm stadium deal, complete with shopping complex, was off.

The council set out its instalment plan:

*£1million up front

*£500k after the first store opens

*£1m after the sixth store opens

*£500k after the penultimate store opens

*£500k after any building starts on the main, fourth, stand