Wandsworth Council has been warned of hypocrisy over its upcoming decision on whether or not to allow Formula E racing in Battersea Park.

The race will be held somewhere in London on July 2-3 next year and the Battersea Park Action Group (BPAG) has accused Wandsworth Council leader Ravi Govindia, who hosted the race last year, of "double standards".

The BPAG said Coun Govindia had opposed the expansion of Heathrow on environmental grounds, saying any extension "will do real harm to our communities".

Coun Govindia said the council would make the decision in November taking into account a public consultation but that parallels to Heathrow were false and foolish.

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Coun Govindia opposes Heathrow on environmental grounds

John Fox, co-chairman of BPAG, accused the council leader of "applying very different environmental standards" to Heathrow ahead of the borough.

He said: "Coun Govindia is applying very different environmental standards to Heathrow than he is to his own borough.

"Perhaps this has something to do with the money that Formula E is paying Wandsworth to be allowed to desecrate the park.

"We call on Coun Govindia to show Battersea Park the same environmental concern he is currently reserving for Heathrow and make it clear that Formula E will not be racing there next year."

In response Councillor Govindia said: "We have not yet made a decision about whether or not this event will be permitted again in the park.

"We will be making that decision at the end of November and will be taking into account all the responses we have received to our public consultation, from people who support the event and those who are against it.

"However to equate an issue like Heathrow that affects millions of Londoners on a daily basis with a proposal to partially close of one of our many parks and open spaces for a few days once a year is a false and foolish comparison."