Feature

AFC Wimbledon stadium moves step closer

English third-tier football club AFC Wimbledon’s proposed relocation to a new stadium has taken a step closer after Mayor of London Sadiq Khan formally handed the decision of the planning application back to Merton Borough Council.

The council has long been a supporter of the plans and last year granted the League One team permission to build the 11,000-capacity ground on the Plough Lane site.

However, in March the decision was taken out of the council's hands when then Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s office said it would have the final say. Khan, who was appointed Mayor in May, last month said he would be willing to hand control back to Merton. The decision to do so was formally announced earlier today (Monday).

In a letter to Merton Council’s Tim Catley, Khan said he considered there to be “no sound planning reasons for (the Greater London Authority) continuing to intervene in this case”.

Khan added: “I am therefore content to allow Merton Council to determine the case itself, subject to any action that the Secretary of State may take, and hereby cancel the previous Mayor’s direction under Section 2A of the 1990 Act.”

Khan said he had “considered a further report” on the case before reaching his decision.

Plough Lane was the home of the now-defunct Wimbledon until 1991. The club then shared Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Park ground until 2003 before it rebranded itself as MK Dons and relocated to Milton Keynes. Wimbledon fans unhappy with the rebrand formed AFC Wimbledon and the club has since worked its way up the leagues.

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