BLUES boss Ron Martin has said a small parade of shops in Southend is the only sticking point for his plans for a new stadium.

In his regular website blog, Mr Martin says the shops, in Victoria Avenue, which include a second hand household goods shop and two pizza takeaways, are holding up the development of Roots Hall.

The sale of Roots Hall to Sainsbury’s for a new store is vital to help fund the relocation to the 22,000 seat stadium at Fossetts Farm including a hotel, flats and new shops.

Club chairman Mr Martin wrote: “The eventual sale of the Roots Hall site is a key financial driver in funding the stadium as is the retail park out at Fossetts Farm. Therefore we need to align both.

“Supporters can, I am sure, begin to see the linkage in having a clear position here at Roots Hall and which in turn needs all the properties around Roots Hall to be bought in.

“I am pleased to tell you as recently as this week, terms were agreed with a major piece of the jigsaw and we can now anticipate contracts being exchanged on that purchase in mid-January.

“The other properties which need to be acquired and which are the subject of a potential compulsory purchase order are the shops at the corner of Victoria Avenue and Fairfax Drive.

“Therefore the purchase of these shops is the only real impediment to getting on site at Fossetts and the sooner those owners come to terms with us, preferably by private treaty, the sooner the club can really start to motor. Maybe fans should buy their pizzas elsewhere!”

Some of the businesses have been based at the site at the corner of Fairfax Drive for more than ten years.

JJ Twirlers and the South East Essex Engravers which used to share a shop have combined their businesses and moved to Hockley on November 23.

The other traders are Super Pizza, Pizza Man, Sale Appliances and M Phones which for now stand firm.

Adam Niazi, manager of Super Pizza, laughed off Mr Martin’s suggestions that his customers go elsewhere and said he still didn’t believe the development would go ahead.

He said: “I have heard this from nearly three years ago. I don’t think it is going to happen any time soon. We can move, but they will have to give me some money or something.”