“We have now given the official go-ahead for preliminary earthworks to start on the site of our new stadium.” a statement by The Dons Trust reads. Once contractors have the workforce on site, works will begin.

AFC Wimbledon had taken over at the Plough Lane site on December 24, 2018. By that time all of the old greyhound stadium was removed and the plot was cleared. However, following alterations to the stadium design, actual construction is yet to begin.

The work that is starting now – the first work on site since the Dons gained possession – involves:

• bringing in temporary site offices and other site-preparation works
• pumping away surface water that has accumulated in a ‘bowl’ on the site
• completing ground stabilisation work. This involves creating a stockpile of earth, treating the stockpile with lime and cement, and then returning the earth to the site in layers – this strengthens and stabilises the ground to get it ready for eventually laying the stadium’s foundations.

This work is being done by Buckingham Group under a letter of intent and is scheduled to take around 10 weeks to complete. No actual building work is starting yet, and the football club continue finalising the main contract for constructing the stadium itself.

With this in mind, there is no groundbreaking ceremony planned. Official opening of the construction process is anticipated when the project goes full ahead later this year.