London Mayor Boris Johnson said he might have ‘made the wrong decision’ by calling in the plans for a new AFC Wimbledon football stadium for further consultation.

Controversial plans to re-develop the Wimbledon Stadium, on London’s last remaining dog racing track in Plough Lane, were unanimously approved by Merton Council in December.

This meant the Dons would be playing in Wimbledon again after more than a decade at Kingsmeadow in Kingston.

Wimbledon Times: 18-wi-afc-wimbledon-plough-lane-new-2015-W1200.jpg

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But Mr Johnson left football fans shocked when he called in the plans in March delaying the approval process due to 'significant issues of controversy'.

December 16: AFC Wimbledon fans still celebrating victory - but will decision go into extra time?

The Conservative Mayor’s successor will have to begin the consultation process again before a decision is made.

Mr Johnson said today: “I know a lot of people were disappointed. It was very difficult because I had people coming up to me all over London saying ‘I’m a football fan, I want Wimbledon back in Wimbledon.’ “Then I had other people saying ‘I want to go to the dogs’.

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“I don’t know, maybe I made the wrong decision. But I felt that it was something that needed to be further looked at.”

Sadiq Khan, the Labour frontrunner in the mayoral race, has previously objected to the plans to re-develop the dog track and build a 20,000-seat stadium, as well as 602 flats, a crèche, shops and a fitness centre. The initial plan will be 11,000 seats.

In February 2015 the Tooting MP wrote to the chief executive of AFC Wimbledon Erik Samuelson to express his ‘serious concerns’ about the development.

Last week Mr Khan admitted he had an ‘emotional connection’ to Tooting and Wandsworth but would ‘look at the merits’ of the development as Mayor rather than an MP.

He said: “I would have to go through details and look at points in a way that that, as a mayoral candidate, I haven’t.

“For these developments you need to have communities in agreement.

“I think he made the right decision to call it in, but I’m not going to go into details related to this plan.”

Merton Council leader Stephen Alambritis said Mr Johnson should right the wrong.

He said: "I was just as gobsmacked with the original decision."

Speaking of when the decision was made, he said: "It just shows (Boris Johnson's) mind was not on the ball on that day.

"His mind was on the premiership and pulling out of Europe - he should have gone with the officer recommendation.

"It is good he regrets his decision but he should right the wrong."

"Why on earth he saw fit to call in a unanimous decision, I don't know," Councillor Alambritis added.

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