Save Wimbledon Park

Response to the Decision by the GLA Deputy Mayor

News

The Wimbledon Society Letter to Merton Council Regarding The 1993 Restrictive Covenants and Merton's Legally Binding Duties to the Community

Wimbledon Community Forum Wednesday 9th October 7:15pm Will Include Save Wimbledon Park Speakers - Please Attend and Show Your Support !

The I: Three ways angry residents hope to scupper Wimbledon’s £200m expansion

Wimbledon Park Lake Looking Towards St Mary's Church June 2024

Wimbledon Park Lake and Swan Family

Wimbledon Park Lake Plus Swans and Cygnets

Wimbledon Park and Lake

Wimbledon Park Lake Looking Towards St Mary's Church June 2024

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Protect our Green Spaces

Help protect the environment
Hold Merton and AELTC to their promises
Save Wimbledon Park for future generations

WImbedon Park Land Ownership and Context Map v4

The All England Lawn Tennis Club are still pursuing their application for planning permission to develop the Heritage Landscape of the Grade II* registered Wimbledon Park. Although the application received approval by Merton's planning committee on 26th October 2023, this was just the first stage in the process. Wandsworth Council's planning committee met on 21st November and voted unanimously to refuse the application.

It is now with the GLA and on January 22 they announced: "This is a major planning application, of London-wide significance. Therefore, the Deputy Mayor has issued a direction under Article 7 of the Town and Country Planning (Mayor of London) Order that he becomes the local planning authority for the purposes of determining the application. A full planning hearing will be held in due course."

The Secretary of State can also call it in.

Each decision making body has to review the All England's proposals. On Capability Brown’s Grade II* historic and highly protected Metropolitan Open Land they plan an 8,000-seat stadium, 38 courts, 10 other buildings and 9kms of roads and paths (see a map illustrating the plans). They propose a new AELTC private park to which the public may be admitted but which would contain a 30,000sqft maintenance building.

All this would break the 1993 covenants demanded by Merton to protect the golf course and agreed by AELTC on their purchase. On 14 July 1993 Merton promised that the golf course would be kept as open space: statement 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."

See this briefing paper for more information.

Sign our petition

Planning Applications

Although the application received approval by Merton's planning committee on 26th October 2023, this was just the first stage in the process. Wandsworth Council's planning committee met on 21st November and voted unanimously to refuse the application. It now goes to the GLA for a Mayoral decision; the Secretary of State can also call it in. Please tell GLA that you object to the AELTC's plans, even if you have already told Merton / Wandsworth Councils - GLA will make their own evaluation. See this news post for details of how to object.

These are the key concerns:

• Unacceptable Environmental Impact. The golf course will be excavated, infilled, and levelled over 7 years, threatening protected priority habitats. Claims for biodiversity net gains have been challenged in expert analysis. • 300 mature trees will be felled. An estimated 500+ younger trees will be uprooted • This is important open space heavily protected in planning policy. Once built upon it could become completely developed. • The 28m high and 104m wide Stadium will dominate the site, contrary to the 1993 covenant. • The new AELTC park will belong to the AELTC. Public access to it and the walk around the lake is “permissive”; it may be withdrawn as their commercial priorities change. The AELTC say their Masterplan for the future of their estate is “an evolving vision”. • A walking route around the lake is welcome and would fulfil a 1993 obligation. The boardwalk over the lake is unacceptable on visual, ecological, and historical grounds. • With tournament use limited to 3 weeks, the density of courts and infrastructure across the site is excessive. Community access to play tennis will be negligible. Championship parking and the Queue will still be on public park land. • The plans assume Church Road will be closed during the Championships, even to pedestrians and cyclists.