In just a few weeks, the long fight over Walthamstow Stadium in London could finally be over.The track closed in August 2008 due to declining attendance. At the time, the track's owners acknowledged that dog racing had become "unsustainable." The land under the track was then purchased by an association named London and Quadrant, which plans to build affordable housing on the site.
For years, dog racing supporters have opposed this sensible plan, and tried to bully London and Quadrant into selling the track back to them at a loss. Thankfully, the association has stood its ground and the housing proposal has continued to advance.
Now, after months of public debate the Waltham Forest Council Planning Committee has announced that they will rule on the Walthamstow housing proposal on May 8. If London and Quadrant's proposal is approved, it will finally end the sad history of greyhound racing at Walthamstow. Meanwhile, if the proposal is rejected it is possible dog racing could eventually return to the site.
Last year, the advocacy group Greytexploitations released a powerful video about the humane consequences of reopening Walthamstow Stadium. Please watch this video today, then visit Greyhound Safe to find out how you can help.
Together, we can make sure May 8 is a good day for the greyhounds in London.
It's very sad that so many politicians, including the mayor of London, have chosen to support the reopening of the track, when what the area badly needs is more housing, which there is a dire shortage of in London. It's also a pity that organizations such as Dogs Trust and the League Against Cruel Sports have allowed their names to be used by the SOS campaign, who aim to re-open the track, as endorsement when they should be pro-actively opposing it. We can only hope that the local council have the courage, the common sense and the decency to do the right thing and approve L&Q's proposal for the sake of the dogs and the local people, who need housing far more than they need a dog track!
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