On Saturday morning, I received through my letterbox a leaflet from the Wimbledon Park Residents Association (WPRA).

They tried to warn me (and my fellow local residents) of the impending perils of overdevelopment and football hooliganism, should planning permission for a new football stadium be granted.

While a certain degree of nimbyism is to be expected from any residents association, the WPRA's propaganda seems to be not only extraordinarily reactionary, but simply inaccurate.

For example, they discuss on three separate occasions the prospect of 20,000 fans descending on Merton, but fail entirely to address the fact that the initial plans are only to build an 11,000-seater stadium.

The WPRA's severely limited attention to detail and/or knowledge of football is highlighted again by the claim that fixtures are "scheduled at the stadium potentially twice each week of the year".

Surrey Comet:

They may be interested to learn that in 2014, Wimbledon played 25 home games - considerably less than they seem to be anticipating.

But beyond mere factual inaccuracy, there is a total lack of recognition of how much better for the area a new football stadium would be, rather than a white elephant of a greyhound stadium.

The WPRA may not have noticed the ongoing economic crisis, but the rest of the world have been hit rather hard, and a major issue for the people of London at the moment is the sufficient provision of housing.

The 600 new homes that form part of Wimbledon's planning application would certainly help to address the fact that planned house-building in Merton is expected to cater for just 1 per cent of demand over the next decade.

Another effect of this development would be the rejuvenation of an area that has been declining for decades.

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It's been proven in the past that local businesses and house prices benefit massively from the revitalisation of a neglected area that a new stadium brings.

There are further potential benefits: the advancement of AFC Wimbledon's award-winning community schemes, the provision of new leisure facilities for the borough, and bringing our football club - a key part of Merton's heritage - back home.

Surrey Comet:

Accusations regarding flooding and transport issues are addressed comprehensively, and far more effectively than I could hope to, by Wimbledon and Galliard Homes' highly-detailed planning application.

Perhaps those complaining about the application ought first to actually read it?

Despite the best efforts of the Irish greyhound-racing community to claim otherwise, the economic and social benefits of Wimbledon's development proposal are undeniably extensive, and potentially of monumental significance for the area.

Dare I suggest that the WPRA, an organisation championing the archaic and inhumane sport of greyhound racing, might just be a little out-of-touch with the residents it claims to represent?

I would urge other residents to genuinely consider the positive impacts of building this new football stadium, with a sense of balance, rather than falling into the trap of blindly believing the scaremongering leaflets that fall through your letterbox.