A CRUNCH meeting over the future of Walthamstow Stadium ended in disappointment for dog racing fans after the man hoping to do a deal to re-introduce the sport said no progress was made.

Bob Morton came face to face with chief executive of site owner London & Quadrant (L&Q), David Montague, at a town hall meeting chaired by council leader Chris Robbins, which was also attended by MPs Stella Creasy and Iain Duncan Smith.

L&Q hopes to submit plans to build 300 homes and community facilities on the Chingford Road site in March but, supported by campaigners and the MPs, Mr Morton has offered to buy the site and return it to its original use.

L&Q previously insisted the offer was not viable, but agreed to a request from Ms Creasy and Mr Duncan Smith to meet with Mr Morton to discuss the site’s future - raising hopes that agreement could be reached.

However, today Mr Montague reiterated his belief that Mr Morton’s plans are ‘not deliverable’.

He said: “His plans have not fundamentally changed and today we expressed again our concerns that his plans are not deliverable.

“We have revised our own plans over the last few months in response to what local people have said.”

Mr Morton said he was "disappointed" that L&Q were not willing to negotiate.

He added: “We want Walthamstow dog track to be the best in the world, not just for the race-going public or the animals at the track but the whole community – that’s why we’ve been looking at how we could do that.

“Working with the Living Wage campaign, the Co-operative movement and animal welfare experts shows our commitment to putting forward a plan for this site that would not only bring economic but also social benefits to the area.

“I’m hoping London and Quadrant will now finally work with us to make that happen so that we can bring entertainment, jobs and homes to Walthamstow.”

Iain Duncan Smith said: “We’ve made it clear to London and Quadrant that we consider Bob’s offer for the area to be much better not only for our local economy but also our local people. Today’s commitments just show how far he is prepared to go to ensure that the track is a real asset to north east London – now we want L&Q to take this seriously and negotiate to secure this deal so that we not only get housing and our track back but also the best deal for the people of the area.”

Stella Creasy said: “People can have confidence that if London and Quadrant do sell the site to Bob, his proposal will transform not only Walthamstow and the prospects of those who work there, but the nature of the sport itself.

“Now I hope London and Quadrant will finally put the needs of my constituents first and work with Bob to make this happen.”