Featured image credit: AELTC
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has taken a major step towards implementing its Wimbledon Park Project after the controversial scheme was approved by the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The decision was announced at a public hearing today (Friday) after being teed up last week following the recommendation of GLA officers that Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service, Jules Pipe, should grant conditional planning permission.
The project as a whole has provoked strong opposition from local politicians, residents and environmentalists, which was again on show at today’s hearing as the opposing sides exchanged differing views on the scheme’s potential economic benefits, as well as its impact on the local environment.
The Guardian said AELTC has been further boosted by an announcement from Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, that the government would not be calling in the project for ministerial scrutiny. However, campaigners can still take the matter to judicial review and, potentially, the supreme court.
Pipe said in a statement: “These plans for the site of a former private golf course will bring significant benefits to the local area, the wider capital and the UK economy, providing increased access to open green space and sport, new parkland and a host of new jobs.
“Hosting qualifying events on the same site as the Championships will put Wimbledon on a global footing with other grand slam tournaments and ensure it remains one of the world’s top sporting events. The scheme brings a huge range of economic, social and cultural benefits which will contribute to building a fairer, greener and more prosperous London for everyone.”
In January it was revealed that Pipe had taken control of the Wimbledon Park Project, with a full planning hearing set to be held. The decision was taken after Mayor Sadiq Khan recused himself from the process due to publicly backing the project back in 2021.
The AELTC in November maintained that its Wimbledon Park Project offers “significant social, economic and environmental improvements” after the plans were rejected by Wandsworth Council, leading to the referral to the GLA.
The Council’s planning committee voted 7-0 against the plans after officers earlier recommended their rejection, concluding that there were no “very special circumstances” that would outweigh the harm to Metropolitan Open Land, with Wimbledon Park having been first designed by landscape architect Capability Brown in the 18th century.
The AELTC had cleared the first major hurdle for its Wimbledon Park project in October after it received planning approval from Merton Council. The AELTC in June 2021 revealed details of a ‘New Park for London’ concept while also providing an update on its proposed 8,000-seat show court. The latest update came after the AELTC in April outlined plans for the 8,000-seat show court as part of an expansion of the Wimbledon grounds.
The AELTC wants to build the stadium on land it purchased from Wimbledon Park Golf Club for £65m in 2018 and it had been hoped the court will be ready for play by 2030. The ‘New Park for London’ concept aims to create London’s “newest publicly accessible park”.
The AELTC’s plans for the new show court, meanwhile, centre on a tree-like structure and have been conceived to tie in with the surrounding landscape. The court would be located outside of the members’ club and would be open for year-round activities such as smaller tournaments, events and school visits.
Importantly, the plans also include proposals for 38 new courts – a move that would allow qualifying events to be held on-site, bringing Wimbledon in-line with its three fellow grand slam tournaments.
In May this year, the AELTC committed to providing additional public parkland for the scheme it believes will deliver one of the greatest sporting transformations for London since the 2012 Olympic Games.
The AELTC revealed plans to create four acres of new public parkland as part of its proposals to transform the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course. The enhancement to the proposals followed consultation with the GLA and an extensive public consultation period.
Commenting on today’s verdict, Deborah Jevans, chair of the All England Club, said: “Our proposals will deliver 27 acres of newly accessible parkland for the community and enable us to bring the qualifying competition for The Championships onsite, with all of the substantial economic and employment opportunities this presents.
“Every stage of this project will be delivered with a meticulous attention to detail and the utmost respect for both our neighbours and the environment. We look forward to working with all parties to bring this vision to life, delivering one of London’s greatest sporting transformations since the 2012 Games, and securing Wimbledon’s future at the pinnacle of world sport.”
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