Chairman Ron Martin confirmed today that plans for United's new 22,000 all-seater stadium have been submitted to Southend Council.</p> southendunited.co.uk exclusively revealed the first pictures of the proposed stadium to supporters yesterday on the club's official website.</p> Having now delivered those plans to the local planning authority,the Blues Chairman spoke to the Media at a specially arranged PressConference this afternoon.</p> "We set a deadline for the end of September for our planning team tocomplete the design and submit the plans to Southend Borough Council,and that has been achieved with the application going in today,"confirmed Martin.</p> "This will take Southend United from the lower levels of theChampionship, where we can compete in the team's perspective, but interms of growth and investment we need a bigger stadium.</p> <table width="305" cellspacing="0" border="0" align="right" class="caption"><tbody><tr><td class="captionText"><div class="innerCaptionText"><table width="305" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" bordercolor="#111111" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse;" id="AutoNumber1"><tbody><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#0f2246" style="font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><table width="100%" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="0" bordercolor="#111111" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse;" id="AutoNumber2"><tbody><tr><td width="100%" style="font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><p align="left"><font color="#b5b6b5">The Main Application:</font></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#b5b6b5" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted; padding: 1px 4px; font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><table width="100%" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="0" bordercolor="#111111" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse;" id="AutoNumber3"><tbody><tr><td width="100%" style="font-size: 12px; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><font face="Arial" color="#000000" style="font-size: 8pt;"> <span><span>·</span></span>New football stadium with a capacity of up to 22,000 seats</p> <span><span>·</span></span>Stadium parking for 984 cars and coaches</p> <span><span>·</span></span>Hotel of 114 bedrooms</p> <span><span>·</span></span>Conference facility for 750 persons</p> <span><span>·</span></span>Three main restaurants seating a total of 1,000 people</p> <span><span>·</span></span>Supporters' food and drink concessions (15 in total)</p> <span><span>·</span></span>State of the art open concourse bars (8 in total)</p> <span><span>·</span></span>3 Pub Style supporters bars</p> <span><span>·</span></span>Ticket offices, club shop and club offices</p> <span><span>·</span></span>Players' hostel</p> <span><span>·</span></span>127 residential units with dedicated car park spaces</p> <span><span>·</span></span>Retail development of 13,941 square metres with dedicated parking of 590 spaces</p> <span><span>·</span></span>Associated infrastructure, landscaping and access roads</p></font></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td></tr></tbody></table>"RootsHall's capacity is 11,000 and it's a crumbling infrastructure. Even ifwe sold out for the rest of the season we are likely to be the secondor third lowest attendance in the Championship.</p> "No matter what work our manager Steve Tilson does with the team, itwould still need continual investment beyond the turnover of SouthendUnited to compete at this level.</p> "We are able and willing to make that commitment and perhaps beyondto ensure this project happens. There is no limit to the ambition thatI have or Steve has for the growth of the Club, and this will enable usto achieve that."</p> "This would give us significant funding above the revenue streamsthat ordinarily operate from a football club, because we will haveproperty and leisure incomes included within this development.</p> "It's not all about money, it's about motivation. But there will beplayers who we will want to attract who will demand a certain level ofincome because they have been to other clubs before. </p> "What this move will do is give us resources to attract thoseplayers, if we want them, and also have the facilities both at thestadium and training ground that will be comparable to anywhere theyhave been before.</p> "We would want the stadium to be operating 24/7 and because of thisthe turnout - even in year one - could potentially double, which wouldput many millions at the manager's disposal."</p> Meanwhile, the Southend supremo confirmed that it the whole project is expected to cost in the region of <span>£</span>25 million.</p> But the funding for the proposal would be self generating according to the Property Developer.</p> "The likelihood is because we have got the stadium in addition to ahotel that would demand a high level of specification. It cost would beupwards of £25 million, but we would work very hard to reduce thecosts," he said.</p> "The money would come from the enabling development, the sale ofRoots Hall, the development of the training ground for a retail parkand those combined sums provide sufficient monies to build this stadiumto the level we want.</p> "We believe this development will put Southend on the map. It willimprove our profile enormously and is something that the town should beproud of."</p> As part of the project Southend will also be submitting a planningapplication to Rochford Council in the next two to three weeks for astate of the art training facility.</p> With the proposed retail development set to be built on the Bluescurrent Boots and Laces training ground, United's first team and Centreof Excellence will relocate to a new area of Fossetts Farm that fallsunder neighbouring Rochford's jurisdiction. </p> <table width="305" cellspacing="0" border="0" align="right" class="caption"><tbody><tr><td class="captionText"><table width="305" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" bordercolor="#111111" style="padding: 0px; border-collapse: collapse;" id="AutoNumber5"><tbody><tr><td width="100%" bgcolor="#0f2246"><table width="100%" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="0" bordercolor="#111111" border="0" style="border-collapse: collapse;" id="AutoNumber8"><tbody><tr><td width="100%"><font face="Arial" color="#b5b6b5" style="font-size: 9pt;">Stadium Lay-out</font></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td width="100%"><table width="100%" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="0" bordercolor="#111111" border="0" bgcolor="#b5b6b5" style="border-collapse: collapse;" id="AutoNumber6"><tbody><tr><td width="100%"><p align="center"></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td width="100%"><table width="100%" cellspacing="4" cellpadding="0" bordercolor="#111111" border="0" bgcolor="#b5b6b5" style="border-collapse: collapse;" id="AutoNumber7"><tbody><tr><td width="100%"><p align="center"><font face="Arial" color="#111111" style="font-size: 8pt;">Click HERE for a detailed description of what is located where on the site of the Blues new stadium</font></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>"Aspart of this application we are moving the Club's training ground toland in Rochford where we have acquired 22 acres, which is subject to athird application, and we would have to submit that within the next twoto three weeks," Ron continued.</p> "We will be installing state-of-the-art training facilities as welland the Club's investment will primarily be beyond the stadium in theyouth of Southend and its Centre of Excellence.</p> "That means as a Club we can have some form of conveyer belt wherewe are growing young lads and hopefully they will feature in the firstteam squad, which we have never done before."</p> Finally the United Chairman confirmed that Blues current Roots Hallsite would be developed for retail and residential use once Southendvacate.</p> "Roots Hall is linked in planning terms to the construction of thenew stadium. That means we will not be moving any of the facilitiesuntil the new stadium is complete in its entirety," he added.</p> "We will then redevelop Roots Hall for a mixed residential andretail development. Our main focus is getting the stadium complete."</p> Manager Steve Tilson was just as excited about the prospect ofleading his side out at the new stadium: "If we can get in the newground and be in the Championship, then there is no reason why over afew years we can't push to get into a high position in the table.</p> "The plans for the new stadium look fantastic. It may be two yearsaway, but it's a big incentive to attract players compared to playingat Roots Hall."</p>