SCRUTINY chiefs will rule tonight on whether to proceed with the 'call in' of the community stadium project.

Wycombe District Council's Improvement and Review Commission will cast their votes at special meeting.

If the majority of members vote in favour, members will be asked to respond to Cabinet's decision in January, which was to proceed with investigations into the new ground at Wycombe Air Park, Booker, Great Marlow.

Chairman Cllr Alex Collingwood, who headed a scrutiny report on the plans so far, told Cabinet members last month the 'special circumstances' required to override Green Belt policy were far from being shown.

Commission members gave the following reasons for the call-in decision:

* Insufficient work has been undertaken to warrant taking the decision to explore the council's favoured Wycombe Air Park site further to the exclusion of looking at alternate sites.

* The cabinet needs to explain how they will meet the very special circumstances required to override the Green Belt and Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty policies.

* The cabinet needs to investigate the split-site options before pursing this single site option.

If members elect to formally call-in the plans, the commission has three options.

1. Request more time from cabinet members so the commission can investigate the proposals further so it can make a more informed decision.

If this option is selected, cabinet's ruling in January to move forward with the proposals will be put on hold until the commission has made its report to cabinet.

2. If the commission does not propose that cabinet's decision should be reversed, changed or investigated further - cabinet's decision will take immediate effect.

3. Agree a response to cabinet in the form of a recommendation based around the three reasons for the call-in (listed above) ahead of cabinet's next meeting on March 1.

January's decision would be put on ice until after next month's cabinet meeting.

WDC leader Cllr Lesley Clarke, deputy leader Cllr Tony Green and the council's head of planning and sustainability, Jerry Unsworth, have been invited to the meeting in anticipation of the call-in.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held in the Council Chamber, beginning at 7.30pm.