Save Wimbledon Park

For nearly five years now, SWP has been bringing the community together to preserve this precious, protected parkland. Although the project of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has now reached the law courts, SWP continues to urge the AELTC to stop and think again about their proposed development. This note explains the issues. THE PLAN: AELTC are still pursuing their application for planning permission to develop the Heritage Landscape of the Grade II* registered Wimbledon Park. They plan an 8,000-seat stadium, 38 courts, 10 other buildings and 9kms of roads and paths to be built on Capability Brown’s Grade II* historic and highly protected Metropolitan Open Land (MOL). AELTC propose some private, “permissive” parkland which would contain a 30,000 sq ft maintenance building and extensive hardstanding areas. THE COVENANTS: All this would break the covenants demanded by Merton to protect the golf course and agreed by AELTC on their purchase. When Merton sold the golf course to AELTC in 1993 they both promised that the golf course would be kept as open space, as confirmed by Tony Colman, leader of Merton Council: “...when we decided to sell this land, we did so ensuring it would be kept as open space and we did so determined that the next owner and any future owner would be denied forever the opportunity to use this space for any development." John Currie, Chairman AELTC: “We completely understand and support everyone’s determination to keep the land open and we have purchased the land on that basis.” The covenants are legally binding and remain in force today: they would prevent building on the land. To date Merton Council has refused to enforce them. MERTON, WANDSWORTH AND THE GLA: Wimbledon Park straddles both Wandsworth and Merton, so both local authorities were involved in the planning application. The plans received majority approval from Merton's planning committee on 26th October 2023, while Wandsworth voted unanimously to refuse them on 21st November 2023. The application was then passed to the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the office of the London Mayor. The GLA planning hearing was held on 27th September 2024 and approved the AELTC's expansion on to the heritage Wimbledon Park former golf course. Deputy Mayor Jules Pipe when issuing his decision commented that "the proposal ... would be harmful ... to the openness of the MOL" and that the "Show Court will challenge the ability to appreciate the parish church of St Mary". The GLA at the same time published an opinion of a very senior barrister about the statutory public recreation trust issue. Mr Timothy Morshead KC wrote as follows: "It follows - I admit contrary to what I had expected when initially reviewing the papers - that in my opinion ... members of the public have rights over the golf course, despite the 1986 lease and despite the 1993 transfer. It follows that the owner [AELTC] must make the land available to the public on a free and unrestricted basis ..." . SWP had drawn the attention of the planning authorities to this trust issue following a unanimous Supreme Court judgement in the Shropshire vs Day case in March 2023. APPEALING THE GLA'S DECISION: SWP started legal action to challenge the validity of the Mayor of London’s decision to grant planning permission, naming the AELTC and the London Boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth as Interested Parties. The legal action, necessary but expensive, was entirely funded by generous donations from local residents and wider crowdfunding for which we are very grateful. This initial attempt to challenge the planning permission granted by the Mayor was unsuccessful but SWP have been granted leave to appeal against the decision which will be heard by the Court of Appeal later in 2026. STATUTORY PUBLIC RECREATION TRUST: At the same time, the AELTC launched its own legal action to try to establish that the statutory public recreation trust does not apply. They concede that their current development plans are not compatible with the trust. SWP will be presenting the case that a statutory public trust exists, invalidating the original sale of the former golf course by Merton Council in 1993. It remains to be seen whether a different scheme would be compatible with the trust. FAILED POLITICAL INTERVENTION: In October 2025, four peers, including a director of AELTC, attempted to prevent the public recreation trust case from coming to court by inserting a retrospective clause into the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, then going through parliament. Members of the House of Lords of all political persuasion spoke strongly against the proposal, which did not make it into this piece of legislation. Further attempts at political manipulation are to be expected. THE FUTURE: Both MPs with constituencies in Wimbledon Park (Paul Kohler, Wimbledon and Fleur Anderson, Putney) and the London Assembly Member Leonie Cooper have urged the AELTC to talk to all those in the Community who are concerned about this proposed industrial tennis complex - the Residents' Associations, Save Wimbledon Park and tens of thousands of local people. The AELTC must think again.