“I am passionate about this tennis tournament and the changes made so far, but I strongly oppose the direction they are taking it,” said Jonathan Pinkess on the fifth day of Wimbledon. Under the bright morning sun, he distributed flyers in opposition to the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s plans to expand, representing numerous local residents concerned about the championship’s impact on the area’s green spaces.
To maintain Wimbledon’s standing in the tennis world, the AELTC plans to construct 39 additional courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, on the site of the former Wimbledon Park golf club. This expansion has sparked local resistance, with critics challenging the necessity of such “industrial-scale development.”
As the 138th edition of the tournament unfolds, a judicial review of the planning permissions granted in September 2024 is underway. The local campaign group challenges the legal basis of the green light given for the expansion, arguing it threatens the loss of green space and promises a decade of disruption to the neighborhood.
Gary Forde, 58 and a longtime supporter of the Save Wimbledon Park campaign, views this issue as a national concern: “It’s more than just a local problem; it’d set a damaging precedent for other areas facing development threats.”
The proposed development would occur on metropolitan open land, with the same protected status as green belt areas. Beyond the ongoing judicial review, another court case filed by the AELTC will examine whether the land, currently used for private golf, is dedicated to public recreation or protected under a legal trust.
The dispute over the land began in 1993 when the AELTC bought the golf course from Merton council for £5.2m, vowing to use it for leisure, recreational purposes, or as open space. The campaigners have raised concerns that their expansion plans violate this agreement, arguing that the AELTC’s insistence on building more facilities is not aligned with its commitments.
The AELTC argues that the expansion will transform the private golf course into public-accessible land, including a 23-acre park and more green space throughout the year. While other grand slam tournaments host qualifying matches on their sites, the AELTC hopes to bring in 10,000 fans to the qualifying tournament currently held at the Bank of England club in Roehampton, with a capacity of 2,000.
Jamie Baker, the tournament director, maintains that expanding Wimbledon will enable more people to experience the championships and improve the local area with the addition of a new park for the community.
The plans include planting 1,500 trees and investing £6m in improving the Wimbledon Park lake, welcomed by local heritage groups. A report estimated that the proposal would bring in £336m of annual benefits and create jobs in the local community. Baker asserts that these plans will benefit many people and that they will continue working towards this goal.
Locals like Forde, who reside on Wimbledon Park Road, are worried about the impact of construction, including the investment of 300 trees and pressure on nearby infrastructure. They fear this development set a precedent for other protected sites across the UK.
Matt, a local tennis coach, sees the positive side of expansion as it could offer better access to tennis enthusiasts, a sentiment his son, who accompanied him to watch the tournament, echoed. However, concerns regarding house values and environmental impacts have surfaced among residents.
Linda Tomes, a Wimbledon resident for 40 years, echoed concerns about the size of the expansion, based on previous experiences with construction that led to health issues for many in the area due to dust and pollution. Despite recognizing the need for improvements, she worries about the scale of the development and its environmental costs.
The AELTC has been contacted for comments on these ongoing debates.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/jul/07/locals-criticise-wimbledon-expansion-plans-before-judicial-review
