Speaking to shareholders at the club's AGM, Ron Martin said that the proposal for a 16,000 capacity ground should go before the planning committee on 7 February 2001 and that he was "confident" that both the football club and local council were on the same wavelength. The council decided to defer the decision for a further three months but agreed that a decision had to be made by then. "This application has been with us for some time and we must not as a council allow this application to cast a further shadow," said Councillor Roger Weaver (CON). "To prevent this hanging over the council anymore, can we ask that officers come back within three months time with a yea or nay recommendation." The fans set up an action group 'Save Our Southend' to prevent their club from becoming homeless or even extinct. "We want our football team's future to be protected in the borough of Southend," said SOS spokesman Trevor Bashford. Even former boss David Webb voiced his concerns for the club: "I'm still very sceptical about what will happen to the club if the stadium doesn't come off."