It has become increasingly clear to many residents of Wimbledon Park, over the last two years, that certain cabinet members of the London Borough of Merton, in particular Cllr Andrew Judge, have a strong bias towards the idea of AFC Wimbledon establishing themselves at Plough Lane. The letter Cllr Judge wrote in the Wimbledon Guardian a few weeks ago weeks ago clearly confirms this.

At a meeting of the Wimbledon Community Forum on the 10th July, Cllr Judge was asked whether he considered his letter was entirely appropriate for a Cabinet Member to make public his personal views in this way, certainly before any Planning application had been approved. Cllr Judge responded that he was a passionate supporter of AFC Wimbledon and was not a member of the planning committee and felt it was perfectly fine. His attitude was unapologetic, unashamed and entirely biased. 

The WPRA conducted a survey of residents in the Wimbledon Park Ward earlier this year.  Over two hundred households were surveyed. 80% of those surveyed thought that the proposal for a 20,000 seater stadium was not beneficial for local residents and over 70% were opposed to the proposed development completely.  

AFC Wimbledon/Galliard Homes recently held exhibitions in Wimbledon Park and Wandsworth. It was very clear from those meetings that an increasing number of residents, many of who have only recently been made aware of these proposals by the WPRA, were horrified by flood plain and transport implications of a 20,000 seater stadium and 600 residential units.

The alternative proposals put forward by Hume Consulting for a new Greyhound stadium, seating 4500 and fewer residential units is the preferred option by the WPRA and an increasing number of local residents. These seem to deal satisfactorily with the flood plain issues and will have very little additional impact. Greyhound racing, has an important Heritage in Wimbledon, and has a long and harmonious relationship with local residents.

Cllr Judge and his Council colleagues are completely uninterested in the views of local residents who will have to bear the brunt of the football stadium proposals, should they succeed. They seem completely obsessed with the idea that AFC Wimbledon should ‘return’ to Wimbledon. Of course AFC Wimbledon never was in Wimbledon to start with.

We will continue to alert local residents to the proposals (which the Council has failed to do) and campaign for the most appropriate development of the site which takes into account the needs and views of local residents.

Yours faithfully

Iain Simpson

Chairman, Wimbledon Park Residents’ Association

 

MORE WIMBLEDON STORIES »