The main contractor on the £44 million York Community Stadium, ISG, has pulled out after major delays to the project.

The council is spearheading the 8,000 seat scheme and in July this year said that delays to signing contracts would push the completion date back into 2017.

ISG and its subcontractors were initially due to start working on the scheme in August this year and were set to complete the job in 62 weeks, however it now seems that the work will not start at all.

An ISG spokesperson said that delays relating to the Judicial Review and rising cost pressures have forced them to pull out of the scheme, which is being led by leisure operator GLL.

In October last year, cinema chain Vue launched a legal challenge against the stadium regarding plans for a 13 screen cinema which will be part of the project. The Vue has a 12-screen cinema down the road at Clifton Moor.

Seven months prior to this, a review forced York City Council into investing a further £7 million into the initial £37 million project.

A spokesperson for ISG explained: “We’ve worked for over two years, alongside our consortium partners, to realise the vision for a new community stadium at York, and successfully delivered the enabling package for the scheme in late 2015.

“Our commitment to the stadium has never been in question and we have worked diligently to explore every opportunity to bring the scheme to site, however with further delays caused by the Judicial Review and increasing cost pressures, we’ve been unable to reach a consensus for the next phase of the project. We will continue to support our partners as they seek an alternative contractor.”

The York Community Stadium will be home to the city’s professional football team York City FC and rugby league club the York City Knights.