SETBACK FOR WIMBLEDON EXPANSION

The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (AELTC) has suffered a blow to its proposed plans to build 39 new tennis courts, which included an 8,000-seater show court.

The plans for the significant expansion to one of British sport’s most iconic venues have been criticised by officers at Wandsworth Council who have recommended for the project’s planning permission to be refused.

The opposition to the development on Wimbledon Park is put down to a number of environmental and social reasons with the critics claiming the project would be ‘inappropriate’ and cause ‘substantial harm’ to the land.

A Wandsworth Council statement added, ‘The proposed development would result in the net loss of open space/green infrastructure, with no replacement provision provided.’

The AELTC had received from positive news when Merton Council, which is responsible for all but the most northerly part of the land, voted in favour of the scheme last month.

Its officers accepted the proposals would result in ‘physical harm’ to Metropolitan Open Land, but concluded ‘very special circumstances’ meant ‘substantial public benefits would clearly outweigh [the] harm’.

The planning committee will vote on the panning permission on Tuesday 21^st November, after which the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will have two weeks to deliver his verdict.

The extra courts would be significant Wimbledon, allowing for the tournament’s qualifying to take place on-site – in line with the other three Grand Slams.

The AELTC has also promised to create a new 23-acre public park ‘in the spirit of the original design of landscape architect Capability Brown.’ At least seven of the grass courts would be made available to the local community for the summer weeks which follow Wimbledon too.

Further opposition has come from the Save Wimbledon Park organisation that protested outside the chamber when Merton Council met to vote on the issue and underlined a negative environmental impact and the loss of trees and open spaces.

A petition has attracted more than 14,000 signatures and both local MPs – Conservative Stephen Hammond and Labour’s Fleur Anderson – are opposed.

An AELTC statement read, ‘We are surprised that planning officers at the London Borough of Wandsworth have recommended refusal of the AELTC Wimbledon Park Project, particularly after the London Borough of Merton resolved to approve the application following extensive analysis and debate both in their officers’ report and at the Planning Committee.

‘We regret that Wandsworth’s officers have taken a different view but it is for Councillors on the Planning Applications Committee to make their own considered decision at the meeting on 21 November.

‘We firmly believe the AELTC Wimbledon Park Project will deliver substantial social, economic and environmental benefits, including 23 acres of newly accessible green space, alongside hundreds of jobs and tens of millions of pounds in economic benefits for our neighbours in Wandsworth, Merton and across London.’