THE fate of Oxford Stadium may not be known until almost two years to the day it shut.

A government planning inspector will begin hearing evidence on Galliard Homes’ plans to demolish the stadium in Sandy Lane and build 220 homes on the site on September 9.

The hearings are expected to last 10 days and the inspector is then expected to release a decision after that, potentially around the two-anniversary of the stadium’s closure as a venue for greyhound racing in December 2012.

Galliard is appealing against Oxford City Council’s rejection of its plans.

Former Oxford Stadium promotions manager Mick Wheble, who is now campaigning against the demolition, said: “This is crunch time. If the inspector rules for us I think the stadium could be open again in the early part of 2015.”

He added: “There are many buyers out there.

“It is disappointing and it would have been nice to have an earlier inquiry.

“But in saying that it does give us time to put our evidence together.”