All England Club wins major battle in controversial bid to expand Wimbledon

The All England Lawn Tennis Club has taken a significant stride towards constructing a state-of-the-art show court with a capacity of 8,000 and 38 additional courts in the historic Wimbledon Park. These controversial plans received the approval of Merton Council after an extensive five-hour meeting.

The development is slated to take place on the grounds currently occupied by Wimbledon Park Golf Club, positioned opposite the prestigious tennis club on the opposite side of Church Road. The project not only encompasses the construction of new courts but also includes a range of amenities for fans, players, and staff.

Local residents and park users fervently opposed the proposal, with an online petition named “Save Wimbledon Park” amassing an impressive 13,000 signatures. Concerns were raised regarding the environmental impact of the development and the loss of green space. The development is expected to entail the removal of approximately 2,000 trees across 75 acres of Metropolitan Open Land, which is designated for preservation as an area of landscape, recreation, or nature conservation.

Outside Merton’s Civic Centre, where the decision was made during a late-night meeting stretching into the early hours of the morning, protestors chanted “trees not tennis!”

However, the approval was anticipated following the release of a comprehensive 524-page document earlier this month, which recommended granting planning permission due to the public benefits outweighing any harm done to heritage assets.

The AELTC has assured that the space will be accessible to local residents, stating, “The new 23-acre public park will be open year-round, free of charge, for the local community to enjoy. The park will provide a stunning new recreational space on a formerly private golf course that has been inaccessible to the public for over a century.”

Nevertheless, Fleur Anderson, the MP for Putney, Southfields, and Roehampton, expressed skepticism on the BBC’s Politics London show, stating, “There’s no guarantee that the Wimbledon club won’t decide in five years’ time that they want to build hotels or anything else on that land. We’re in the midst of a climate emergency, and people want to protect our local parks and preserve our green spaces.”

The AELTC acquired the golf course for £65 million in 2018 but faced obstacles in obtaining the necessary legal and procedural permissions for development. The club intends to hold Championship qualifying matches on the expanded site instead of outsourcing them to Roehampton, effectively extending Wimbledon’s duration and increasing the maximum grounds capacity from 42,000 to 50,000.

Hosting the Wimbledon Championships annually provides a significant source of revenue for the borough of Merton.

Presenting their plans, the All England Club stated, “The AELTC is committed to maintaining the status of the Championships as a world-leading sporting event, cherished locally and nationally.”

They added, “By bringing the qualifying event on-site to enhance it for our world-class player field, improving practice and junior event facilities, and providing a third show court, our aim is to ensure that Wimbledon remains the most prestigious tennis tournament globally, benefiting local and national communities both socially and economically.”

Approval will also need to be obtained from Wandsworth Council, whose jurisdiction intersects with the northern area of the site. The council is anticipated to vote on the matter next month. Given the level of controversy, the plans might also be referred to London Mayor Sadiq Khan and ultimately require the approval of Housing Minister Michael Gove.

The plans were initially submitted in 2021, and if given the final green light, Wimbledon expects the new courts to be ready for use by 2030.