Wimbledon Tennis Site Expansion Can Go Ahead, High Court Rules

A projected description of nan Wimbledon tennis tract will spell up aft nan precocious tribunal ruled successful favour of an original determination to let a further 39 courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, connected nan grounds of nan aged Wimbledon Park play club.

A judicial review, which started arsenic this year’s 138th title was nether way, came aft run group Save Wimbledon Park took ineligible action against nan Greater London Authority (GLA) complete its determination past twelvemonth to let nan All England Lawn Tennis Club to almost triple its size.

Campaigners asked nan judge to quash nan original determination made successful September 2024 and bid it to beryllium sent backmost to nan GLA for reconsideration.

The proposals impact building tennis courts connected nan tract of a erstwhile play nine adjacent to nan existent All England Tennis Club site. Photograph: Thomas Lovelock/AP

Residents person based on against nan nonaccomplishment of greenish abstraction arsenic good arsenic 10 years of disruption to nan section area. They person besides questioned its legality, arsenic nan projected description would beryllium connected metropolitan unfastened land, which has nan aforesaid protected position arsenic greenish belt.

The club’s counterargument is that what was erstwhile a backstage play people will beryllium converted into onshore that will connection entree to nan public, including a 9.3-hectare (23-acre) park, pinch further greenish abstraction unfastened done nan twelvemonth extracurricular nan championships. The scaling up of accommodation is basal for players and to support nan prestige of nan expansive slam tournament, it says.

The conflict goes backmost to 1993 erstwhile nan All England nine bought nan play people onshore from Merton assembly for £5.2m. It signed a covenant agreeing it would not usage nan onshore different than for leisure, recreational purposes aliases arsenic unfastened space. The run group, which raised £200,000 earlier nan review, believes nan proposals person violated that pledge.

Aside from nan judicial review, a abstracted tribunal action brought by nan All England nine will find whether nan onshore is for nationalist recreation aliases protected by a statutory trust.