A BUYER has finally been found for Oxford United's Manor Ground - which could mean work restarting on the club's half-built new stadium in the next three months.

The announcement was made yesterday by Patrick Stannard, chairman of Oxford City Council's estates committee, although he did not reveal the name of the buyer.

He said: "Real progress has been made by the club securing a purchaser for the Manor Ground. The sale will provide a significant capital receipt which, it is understood, will be invested in the new stadium.

"Work could restart in the next three months. The city council remains committed to seeing the stadium completed."

The council owns the land at Minchery Farm where United began building its 15,000-seater stadium but where work ground to a halt more than a year ago because the club could not pay contractors Taylor Woodrow.

The club also owes the city council £1.9m for the lease on the land but councillors agreed last year that payment could be postponed.

Alex Hollingsworth, a city councillor for Headington, said residents there wanted to be consulted about what use the Manor would be put to.

He urged United and the ground's buyer to make their proposals public as early as possible rather than putting in a planning application for the site without asking local people about their views.

Mr Stannard said: "The more you can pack on to the site, the more valuable it is. That is a matter for planning, not estates.

"I'll pass on the wish that that residents are in discussions as soon as possible about proposals."

Keith Cox, the club's managing director, confirmed that a buyer had been found for the Manor but he would not say who it was. He also agreed that work at Minchery Farm might be back underway in the next three months.

He said: "We can only do the two things in parallel, otherwise we get into the same situation that Brighton got into where they have to sell their existing ground and move to some other club's ground, and we can't allow that to happen - however much I would like to move things forward."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.