English League One football club AFC Wimbledon has taken a step closer to pushing ahead with plans to a build a new stadium after the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport opted not to list Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium.
Although plans were approved by Merton Council in December 2015, the club has faced a nervous wait to see if the venue in Plough Lane, London, which has been closed since March this year, would be added to the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest.
However, Historic England has now confirmed that the venue has not been listed and has cleared the club to press ahead with development.
Should the project go ahead, the club will build a new 11,000-capacity stadium on the site of the greyhound track, with the option to expand to 20,000 seats at a later date. Around 600 flats will also be built at the location.
Erik Samuelson, chief executive of AFC Wimbledon, said: “This is very welcome news and a major hurdle overcome. We can now focus on getting the last few pieces in place to make sure we can return to Merton in 2019.”
Image: Bill Boaden
