CITY of York Council says the community stadium project is still on track, despite the authority withdrawing from negotiations with York City Knights chairman, John Guildford.

Sarah Tanburn, Interim Director of City and Environmental Services, revealed yesterday that the authority is in legal dispute with  the club.

She said Mr Guildford, on behalf of the club, had filed notice to the County Court of its intention to contest the council’s application to redevelop Huntington Stadium.

She said the club had previously agreed to the redevelopment as part of the delivery of the community stadium development at Monks Cross.

"This action by Mr Guildford places the council at significant financial and legal risk and as a result the council is now in legal dispute with the Knights."

But Mr Guildford hit back, claiming it was the authority which had actually taken the club to court.

"Under the terms of the planning we should be vacating the Huntington Stadium in October and provided with alternative accommodation but at the moment we have nowhere to go," he told The Press.

"They have gone to court to get a possession order by December 31."

He said it was 'not totally true' that the club had formally contested the court possession order. "We replied to the court by way of acknowledgement of service, which gives both parties an extra 14 days and a total of 28 days to complete the agreements," he said.

"We have no intention of contesting the possession order. We will only be looking for the council to keep to the undertakings given and ensure we have alternative facilities as promised under the guarantees given - nothing more, nothing less."

A council spokeswoman said the dispute did not place the community stadium project in jeopardy, and a series of public engagement events would take place in the coming week to give people an opportunity to speak to the development team and provide comments.

Ms Tanburn said the consortium appointed to deliver the design, build and operation of the stadium, led by Greenwich Leisure Ltd, was expecting to submit a detailed planning application for the proposals in December, after which an archaeological dig, called Dig York Stadium, would begin in earnest.