SAINTS' plans for a new Dell are facing another legal challenge from campaigners.

Opponents believe the city council may have acted illegally by granting permission for the 32,000-seat stadium without an environmental impact statement.

They are threatening to put a legal block on the development by seeking a judicial review. The project's supporters have dismissed the move as a desperate gamble.

Lawyers for the Stadium Opposition Group (SOG) have written to the council with a series of legal questions, seeking clarification of how the council arrived at its decision.

The issue centres on whether planning officers decided not to seek an environmental assessment and, if so, whether they had the delegated authority to do so.

The letter states: "In light of the Secretary of State's decision not to call this decision in, our clients are considering their legal options including that of a judicial review."

Alastair Wallace, solicitor for Tyndall Woods, said the council had told him it would reply by tomorrow. He said if a judicial review was sought it could delay the scheme.

"These are genuine questions and decisions will be made in the light of them.

"A judicial review is not an easy remedy. The court will take into account the wider issues about the whether the council acted reasonably or not."

A city council spokesman said: "We have received the letter and will be responding to it in due course. There are a lot of questions and a lot of things the legal team need to look at."

Saints Independent Supporters Association spokesman Nick Illingsworth said the protesters should accept the decision of the council and of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott to back the scheme.

"We are very disappointed that these people are still fighting the stadium plans because they have gone through the proper channels."

No-one was available for comment at the club.

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