SOUTHEND Council leader Nigel Holdcroft has urged all parties with interests in Roots Hall to get around the negotiating table.

It comes as Prospects College, owners of a key part of the football ground in Victoria Avenue, has said it is considering selling for residential use after negotiations with Sainsbury’s failed.

But Mr Holdcroft has urged all landowners to continue with talks.

He said: “I urge them to tie the deal up sooner rather than later. Its not just councillors but all of us residents and football supporters and the parties directly involved are anxious to see things move on.”

Prospects which vacated its Fairfax Drive site and moved to Futures College, intended to sell to the retail giant as part of the ambitions to redevelop the land when the Blues move out.

Southend United hope to move to a new stadium at Fossetts Farm leaving Roots Hall to be redeveloped.

However negotiations between Sainsbury’s and Prospects have failed on a number of times and now the college is exploring other avenues.

Chief executive Neil Bates said: “Since January we have been exploring a number of alternatives for our site which include a possible residential development and the possibility of re-occupying the site and redeveloping it for a use linked to wider regeneration in the town.

“We are unable to comment further on these plans at this time.”

Sainsbury failed to complete on the purchase of the site in December last year and failed to agree a further extension to the agreement until June 2013.

Mr Bates added: “We took this to mean that there were serious doubts about the likelihood of the development taking place.

“We have made it clear to Sainsbury’s that all previous agreements are now lapsed and that any new discussions about the purchase of our site after the planning issues have been resolved will have to be on an entirely new basis.

“We have not heard from Sainsbury’s since January.”

Mr Holdcroft added: “If it’s going to take place we want to see it happen soon it’s an important site. If it’s not similarly we want to look to at moving on. It’s been going on too long.

“I don’t know the current state of negotiations but I do remain hopeful that it is moving slowly forward.

“It is a complex situation and I don’t underestimate the task of achieving this in the current economic climate.”

A Sainsbury's spokesman said: "Sainsbury's continues to work with all landowners to bring forward a new store at Roots Hall."