PROPOSALS to build a bus depot on the car park of Walthamstow Stadium can go ahead, the Mayor of London has ruled.

Boris Johnson said he will not intervene over Waltham Forest Council's approval of HCT Group's plan to operate buses overnight at the site in Chingford Road, Walthamstow, instead of at the depot in Low Hall, Leyton.

He wrote to the planning department: "I am content to allow [the] council to determine the case itself, subject to any action that the Secretary of State may take, and do not therefore wish to direct refusal or to take the application for my own determination."

HCT Group will make a contribution of £110,000 to highway improvement and have fitted filters on some of their buses to make exhaust fumes less polluting.

But people living nearby fear they will now be disturbed nightly by noise as buses operate between 4.30am and 2am and are concerned the extra pollution will damage their health.

Gail Penfold, chair of Walthamstow Stadium Residents/Community Association, said: "It is a real shame that the mayor and the council put this money and moving HCT out of the base at Low Hall Depot before the health and welfare of their residents and taxpayers.

"We are disappointed that those in government failed to seriously consider the detrimental environmental impact this will have on our local area."

She said the association would consider including this as part of its judicial review against London & Quadrant's plan to build a 294-home estate on the stadium.