Delay continues over Community Stadium

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 5th Apr 2007

Colchester United players

Colchester Borough Council and the North Essex Mental Health Trust have both rejected an offer by town MP Bob Russell to act as a mediator between the two organisations who are in dispute over planning matters which has delayed the start on building the Community Stadium to the north of the former Severalls Hospital.

Today an exasperated Mr Russell observed: "It took the British and Iranian Governments two weeks to negotiate the release of 15 British military personnel, yet Colchester Borough Council and the North Essex Mental Health Trust have failed - over many months - to resolve the much less complex matters of dispute, either real or perceived, relating to the Community Stadium.

"Frankly, this is an appalling state of affairs by two public bodies who exist to serve the public interest.

"It is time that the political leadership at the Town Hall and the Trust's Board took over from officials who have failed to deliver."

Mr Russell wrote to the Chief Executives of Colchester Borough Council and the North Essex Mental Health Trust offering to mediate between the two organisations. Both have now replied, declining the offer.

The last public announcement on when work would start on the Stadium was that this would commence in March. "We are now in April", said Mr Russell, "and no new date has been given although the Council has let a contract to a company to build the Stadium."

He added: "Does anybody have a clue as to what is going on? If so, can the public be told please?"

Pointing out that in April last year the political leadership of Colchester Borough Council announced that it had "delivered on the new stadium," Mr Russell said: "Twelve months later work has not started, and there is no indication of when work will start.

"I am therefore appalled that Colchester Borough Council and the North Essex Mental Health Trust are not only still engaged in the blame game of who is responsible for the delay, but that the Chief Executives of both have rejected my offer to help bring matters to a mutually acceptable resolution so that work on the Stadium can start."

Three years ago Mr Russell convened a meeting at the House of Commons with representatives of five public bodies which successfully resolved issues of dispute relating to securing an agreement for a new junction to be built in due course from the A12 Colchester By-Pass into the Severalls and Cuckoo Farm areas. "That was a far bigger nut to crack than the current dispute between the Borough Council and the Mental Health Trust, but if they are not prepared to accept my offer to help resolve matters then there is nothing I can do to demand that they do so."