Plans that could have forced Millwall Football Club to seek out a new home in north Kent have been scrapped after a huge public backlash.

On Wednesday January 11, Lewisham Council’s cabinet was set to meet to rubber-stamp a decision to buy up land surrounding the club’s stadium in Bermondsey, south-east London, before selling it to an offshore developer.

Such an agreement would likely have meant Millwall leaving The Den, with north Kent a possible destination, but the cabinet meeting was postponed and the council’s compulsory purchase order (CPO) has now been canned.

Mayor of Lewisham Sir Steve Bullock withdrew his support for the CPO last week and said: “I have always been clear that Millwall must be at the heart of the development and it is my view that these concerns need to be thoroughly addressed.”

The cabinet confirmed it had given up on the CPO shortly after, adding that any future decision regarding the land around the stadium would be a “wholly new decision”.

It added: “A period of calm reflection is needed. We want to speak to Millwall, the Community Trust and the others affected by the CPO to fully understand their concerns.

“We are calling on all parties to engage constructively with each other in an attempt to find a workable solution."

"I have always been clear that Millwall must be at the heart of the development and it is my view that these concerns need to be thoroughly addressed" Sir Steve Bullock

Thousands had signed a petition against the CPO, while broadcaster and lifelong Lions fan Danny Baker, who previously suffered from mouth and throat cancer, tweeted to wish cancer upon the council’s cabinet members.

If the CPO had gone ahead, all the land surrounding The Den, Millwall’s home since 1993, would have been sold to Renewal, who want to build thousands of homes, community facilities and a railway station around the stadium.

Millwall would have lost its car park, memorial garden and the Lions Centre, home of its academy and community scheme, as a result.

The community trust operates within the borough to provide opportunities to young and disadvantaged people, as does the Lions Centre, which has a 24-hour Astroturf pitch.

Millwall’s category two academy status relies on the facility and without it the club would struggle to attract talented young players.

Any move to Kent would have made Millwall the county’s second League club, after Gillingham. Gills chairman Paul Scally had said he was untroubled by the possibility of having company in the county.

Large swathes of Millwall’s fanbase does stem from north Kent and the club has a close relationship with Dartford FC, sharing academy players and going up against each other in a number of pre-season fixtures.