PLANS to create a magnificent new home for Saints have taken another positive stride forward after developers revealed they are seeking a contractor to build the £20m plus stadium.

Saints chief executive Tony Colquitt told the Star the club is aiming for work at the former United Glass site in Peasley Cross to start this December.

And the ambitious target of relocating from Knowsley Road’s GPW Recruitment Stadium to the new home by the start of the 2011 season remains.

With news of the stadium plans having been limited so far this year while bulldozers have cleared great areas of the UG glassworks, Colquitt said supporters should expect the pace of developments and amount of information to pick up swiftly in the coming months.

The first signal of renewed momentum came as property developer Langtree invited applications from construction firms interested in building the estimated £44m development of a 17,980 capacity stadium and Tesco Extra supermarket.

By the start of August, it is expected five firms will have been selected to go through a tendering process that will take three to four months.

With the economic picture having deteriorated rapidly since the Government gave planning clearance to the scheme last summer, Colquitt said it was “testament to the enthusiasm of those involved in the project that it remains on track”.

He said: “The tendering process is almost the first part in what will be a massive 18 months for the club. People will see the momentum of the project snowballing.”

Langtree board director Martin Mellor added that Saints’ specifications for the stadium, such as the need for 12,500 seats, standing areas, as well as corporate and community facilities, will be set out to constructors involved in the tendering process.

Firms will then come back with estimated costs and, with the building industry having being hit hard by the recession, there is the possibility the slump will actually work in the development’s favour if short on work constructors submit more competitive prices in an effort to secure the contract.

Colquitt, meanwhile, has given assurances the financial package for the stadium is secure and said there are legally binding agreements to sell Knowsley Road to builders Taylor Wimpey.