AFC Wimbledon’s Plough Lane stadium application to be debated tonight

Merton Council will tonight debate whether or not to accept AFC Wimbledon’s planning application for a new stadium to be built near to Wimbledon FC’s former home Plough Lane.

The original Wimbledon FC played at Plough Lane for almost eighty years but were forced to leave the site in 1991 after the publication of the Taylor Report, which recommended top-flight sides should play in all-seater stadiums.

WImbledon FC then ground shared with Crystal Palace before being controversially relocated to Milton Keynes in 2003.

In protest to this move AFC Wimbledon were founded in 2002 and have played their football at Kingsmeadow since their creation.

AFC Wimbledon’s planning application to build a new stadium near to Plough Lane was originally submitted in October 2014 and has been subject to two rounds of statutory consultation.

AFC Wimbledon chief executive Erik Samuelson said, “I believe we’ve addressed all the issues raised and have made a strong case for the scheme to be approved”

The club hope to build an initial 11,000-capacity stadium, which could be expanded to 20,000, on the site of Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium.

The work is expected to cost around £20 million to complete and if the application is approved building is expected to start towards the end of next year with the club hoping to move in to the stadium in time for the start of the 2018-19 season.

Last month AFC Wimbledon voted to sell Kingsmeadow to Chelsea in preparation for an eventual move to Plough Lane. Chelsea are believed to want to use the stadium for youth team and women’s matches.