Expansion Plans for Wimbledon Set for High Court Review
Plans to expand Wimbledon are proceeding to the U.K. High Court as the All England Club (AELTC), host of the prestigious tennis Grand Slam, seeks to add a third stadium court and 38 additional courts, effectively tripling its size. The expansion is projected to cost over £200 million ($254.8 million). The Greater London Authority (GLA) granted planning permission in September, but the campaign group Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) has engaged lawyers to challenge this decision, which may result in a judicial review by the High Court.
Legal Precedents and Challenges
SWP has submitted a detailed letter to the GLA, which is also shared with Merton and Wandsworth Councils, indicating potential legal proceedings could follow. This letter, part of the “pre-action protocol” for a judicial review, requests the GLA to reconsider the planning permission and potentially revoke it. The law firm representing SWP has asked for a response by December 16; the correspondence is dated December 6. The GLA has yet to respond to requests for comment.
AELTC’s Position on Statutory Trust
In a separate development, the AELTC confirmed on December 1 its intent to contest claims from SWP and local residents regarding the land’s status. SWP asserts that when AELTC acquired the freehold of the Wimbledon site and adjacent park in 1993, it fell under a statutory trust mandating the land be maintained for public recreation. The AELTC counters that “there has never been a statutory trust affecting the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course land,” and it plans to present this argument in court.
Details on Proposed Facilities and Timeline
The AELTC purchased the golf course in 2018 for £65 million ($87.1 million), which resulted in significant payouts to club members. The club argues that its private status negates the applicability of a statutory trust. An SWP spokesperson expressed concern, stating that the statutory public recreation trust is a significant hindrance to the proposed development. AELTC chair Deborah Jevans has emphasized that the expansion aims to maintain Wimbledon’s status alongside the Australian, French, and U.S. Opens.
Among the proposed facilities, one of the 39 new courts will be an 8,000-seat stadium, enabling the AELTC to conduct its qualifying events on-site—an aspect currently lacking at Wimbledon. The timeline for the High Court case and the proposed judicial review remains uncertain, but AELTC officials aim to have the new courts operational by the early 2030s.
(Julian Finney / Getty Images)
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