Cray Wanderers football club's plans to build their long-awaited stadium after decades of sharing clubs are hanging in the balance after Sadiq Khan revoked planning permission.

After 44 years without a roof over their heads, the football club was looking forward to moving into their own grounds for the 2018 season.

Bromley Council's planning committee voted in favour of the scheme to build on Flamingo Park, Sidcup By-Pass Road, in April, deeming the circumstances special enough to justify building on the protected land.

The development includes the football stadium and four two-storey residential blocks of 28 flats.

After Sadiq Khan came in as mayor of London, he vetoed the project as part of his pledge to protect the Green Belt.

Mr Khan said: “I am determined to oppose building on the Green Belt, which is now even more important than when it was created.

“Working with my planning team, I will continue to use my full range of planning powers to further strengthen protections for open and green spaces in the London Plan and ensure we are making the most of brownfield sites across the city, including the vast swathes of public land which are ripe for building homes for Londoners.”

Now the mayor's decision has been called in by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and they will make the ultimate decision about whether the project will go ahead.

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Bromley Councillor Peter Dean, chairman of the development committee said, "We have said previously that we were awaiting the Secretary of State’s response and the outcome of this is a public inquiry rather than the refusal that the Mayor of London had directed.

"The irony of this latest twist is not lost on us and we remain comfortable with our decision. 

"The Committee did carefully consider this finely balanced application and decided that there were very special circumstances. 

"This was a unique situation involving possibly one of the oldest football clubs in the world, with the proposal including community sports pitches as well as contributing to much needed housing demand, with the affordable housing question also considered in detail. 

"Our commitment to protecting Green Belt land remains undiminished and is evidenced by our record over many many years."

A spokesman for Cray Wanderers told News Shopper: 

"Cray Wanderers and the Community are understandably disappointed by the mayor's current opinion of their proposal.

"Pending the conclusion of the Secretary of State referral and the official determination of the planning application, the club will not be making any further comment to the press at this time.”

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