Wimbledon: Residents object to 'ludicrously large' expansion plan

The All England Lawn Tennis Club wants to hold the Wimbledon Qualifying Tournament on the expanded site

Wimbledon residents have voiced their opposition to a "ludicrously large" proposed expansion of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC).

The club, which hosts the Wimbledon Championships, wants to expand into a nearby golf course.

It would create a new 8,000-seat stadium, 38 grass courts, and a public park.

AELTC said it would "provide a lasting legacy for our community to enjoy for years to come".

No decision has been made on the plans to redevelop Wimbledon Park Golf Club, which adjoins Wimbledon Park.

'What it is about is money'

AELTC has owned the freehold of the private golf club since 1993, and says the expansion is necessary to "maintain The Championships at the pinnacle of the sport", but that its planning application does not propose any new development on Wimbledon Park, which is owned by Merton Council.

A spokesperson said, "Central to our proposals is the opening up of land which has been inaccessible to the public for over 100 years, including the creation of a new 23 acre public park and community use of the proposed new courts and facilities."

If planning permission is granted before the end of the year, it expects the first courts to be in use by the end of the decade.

The planned expansion would create 38 new grass courts

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, nearly 100 residents joined an online meeting on Wednesday, organised by the Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England, to oppose the 76-hectare proposal.

Former actress Thelma Ruby, 97, told the meeting that "my whole happiness depends on looking out at that view several times a day".

"I am not going to live until it finishes. For the rest of my life, rather than this Capability Brown landscape, I will be looking out on a building site. I speak on behalf of the entire community. I know I do."

Wimbledon MP Stephen Hammond said the plans would alter the park "beyond recognition".

Andy Hamilton says the plans are "ludicrous"

Comedy writer and performer Andy Hamilton, who lives locally, described the park as a "vital community asset" and said the proposals would "create a decade of turmoil".

He said: "Fundamentally, their argument that Wimbledon needs to stay at the pinnacle of world tennis is ludicrous. There are no other lawn tennis competitions as prestigious. What it is about is money - they are looking to generate revenue."

The planning application was submitted to both Merton and Wandsworth councils in July 2021.