Campaigner group Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) is calling for public backing of their plan to challenge the planning permission for the expansion of Wimbledon tennis courts by the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC).
The proposed expansion would involve 39 new tennis courts and a new 8000-seat show court on a former golf course land.
The campaigners called the scheme "destructive" and urged the public to back their efforts to save the local area from this huge development, which could potentially harm the local environment and negatively impact residents.
SWP collected an estimated £200,000 to cover the legal fees required to challenge the planning permission, which was initially granted by the Greater London Authority in 2024. According to the campaigners, the planned expansion:
Local councillor, Malcolm Grimston, said that this project would "set an unhealthy precedent" across London's metropolitan open spaces.
AELTC insists, however, that the new proposed expansion is necessary to maintain Wimbledon's global standing in tennis and integrate qualifying rounds into the main site, which is common at other Grand Slams around the world. To alleviate the negative impacts, the development plans to offer long-term community benefits in their biodiversity plan, including:
AELTC's head of corporate affairs, Dominic Foster, said that the London Wildlife Trust has endorsed the biodiversity plan.
The judicial review will take place in the Royal Courts of Justice on 8 and 9 July 2025, which coincides with the Wimbledon tournament. SWP's appeal will rely heavily on whether the planning permission was legally sound, particularly concerning the covenant and the classification of the land as Metropolitan Open Land.
