The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has revealed plans to transform The Hill at the grounds of the Wimbledon Championships, the latest move in concerted efforts to redevelop the site.
The Hill, provided with a number of different unofficial monikers over the years in tribute to British tennis stars, is regarded as one of sport’s most famous viewing experiences. Since 1997, it has allowed fans with a grounds pass to watch live action from around Wimbledon via the No.1 Court’s big screen.
The enhancement works are scheduled to commence following the conclusion of the 2026 Championships, with the new-look Hill intended to be in place for the following year’s tournament. The project forms part of the AELTC’s plans to mark the 150th anniversary of the first Championships in 1877.
The planned developments will allow far greater accessible viewing opportunities and will transform wheelchair access to The Hill’s various tiers, including the Orchard and Pergola areas, situated at the top of The Hill.
The plans will also deliver more seating through a number of new low retaining walls which will optimise visibility of the No.1 Court large screen by reducing the gradient of the existing tiers.
These changes will allow for an expanded capacity with a 20% increase in guests enjoying use of the space. The environment in and around The Hill will be enhanced by removing existing paths and replacing them with permeable pathways, as well as introducing sun shading and rain cover via a new pergola.
The AELTC has placed a focus on improving biodiversity including a new floral display on the uppermost tier of The Hill and the use of flowers to replace existing permanent signage.
Deborah Jevans, chair of the All England Club, said: “The redevelopment of our world-famous Hill, in time for The Championships 2027, will allow even more tennis fans to enjoy its unique atmosphere and vantage point.
“I am particularly pleased that these plans will increase the accessibility of The Hill for our guests using wheelchairs or who have additional accessibility requirements. It is an exciting opportunity as we look towards 2027 and the 150th anniversary of the first Championships.”
Ruth Hopkins, general manager and head of access at Level Playing Field, added: “I am delighted that Level Playing Field has played an important role in working with the All England Club to enhance their world-famous Hill to be an inclusive and accessible space for everyone attending Wimbledon.
“These plans will deliver significant improvements for all guests but particularly for those with accessibility requirements.”
A consultation event for local residents to learn more about the plans and to offer their feedback will take place on April 10 before a planning application is submitted to the London Borough of Merton.
The AELTC will hope this progresses more smoothly than its wider development project for the grounds. In December, it was revealed that the Club will go to court to resolve questions over its Wimbledon Park scheme, with campaign group Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) taking action against the plans.
In September, the AELTC appeared to have taken a major step towards implementing its Wimbledon Park Project after the controversial scheme was approved by the Greater London Authority (GLA).
In January last year it was revealed that Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service, Jules Pipe, had taken control of the 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 2023 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 2023 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 (€76.8m/$84.5m) 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.
The project as a whole has provoked strong opposition from local politicians, residents and environmentalists, with SWP launching its action in the belief the GLA’s decision to approve the plans was wrong in law because it failed to take into account the implications of the statutory Public Recreation Trust and the restrictive covenants.
SWP also claims that the GLA approval didn’t acknowledge that the heritage golf course is environmentally protected as an “irreplaceable habitat”. Additionally, SWP claims that the GLA’s decision was wrong because it failed to appreciate that the offers to continue to fund the Wimbledon Foundation or the Lawn Tennis Association are “irrelevant” in the planning process.
