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Putney News: Minister who blocked Wimbledon Park amendment now officially backs it - Lords Vote 13 April
Putney News | 31 March 2026 | Kieren McCarthy "Lords vote on 13 April [2026] as opposition mounts from three parties and conservationists." "The House of Lords will vote on 13 April on an amendment to the English Devolution Bill that would remove the legal protections keeping Wimbledon Park in public use – and the government minister responsible is now formally listed as a co-sponsor. Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, the Housing Minister, had her name printed on Amendment 248
Apr 2
Invitation to Save Wimbledon Park Public Meetings on 16th April and 22nd April 2026
YOU ARE INVITED TO A PUBLIC MEETING: Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) would like to update you on progress made in opposing the current plans put forward by the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC): SWP believes that AELTC should stop and think again. It’s been a busy few weeks with court cases and the intervention of the House Of Lords, whilst still to come are the local elections and their impact on the restrictive 1993 covenants. There is much to say! At these meetings local arch
Mar 30
Putney News: Wimbledon Park: what the High Court ruling actually means – and what happens next
Putney News | 20 March 2026 | Kieren McCarthy Planning challenge, Lords amendment and Merton covenant all unresolved after Thursday’s ruling. "The All England Lawn Tennis Club won yesterday’s High Court ruling by a wider margin than almost anyone expected. But Save Wimbledon Park’s response, issued within hours, reveals a fight that now has more fronts than a single court case, and one of those fronts moves to the House of Lords within weeks. Yesterday’s judgment resolved on
Mar 21
High Court Judgement: Statutory Public Recreation Trust Press Release and Summary
Save Wimbledon Park Ltd. | Press Release | 19 March 2026 There was disappointment for Save Wimbledon Park Ltd (SWP) and its supporters as the High Court ruled that the golf course land in Wimbledon Park is not subject to a statutory public recreation trust (under the Public Health Act 1875). Accordingly, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) is not bound by any restrictions, resulting from such trust, which might impede the massive expansion of its estate onto that land.
Mar 19
Putney News: the next six weeks will decide everything
Putney News | 17 March 2026 | Kieren McCarthy A court, the Lords, purdah and a May election are all reaching their climax at once. "Leader of Wandsworth Council, Simon Hogg, issued a statement on Friday urging the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) to reconsider its plans to build on Wimbledon Park. Save Wimbledon Park was delighted. The AELTC has not responded, in large part because they know he has no power to compel them to do anything. That is not a criticism of Hogg’s
Mar 18
Clapham Junction Insider Newsletter: The long-running dispute over the Wimbledon tennis club expansion returned to court in January
Clapham Junction Insider Newsletter Q1 2026 | 14 March 2026 | Cyril Richert (Extract from newsletter published with kind permission of Clapham Junction Insider) "...the long-running dispute over the Wimbledon tennis club expansion returned to court in January. This time, the argument centres over the existence of a statutory trust that the club may have overlooked, and which could yet block the entire development. And the legal saga is far from over: another appeal hearing is
Mar 16
Wandsworth: Leader urges AELTC to reconsider development plans
Wandsworth.Gov.UK | 13 March 2026 "Leader of Wandsworth Council speaks on AELTC proposal" Council Leader Simon Hogg said: "“This proposal by AELTC (All England Lawn Tennis Club) to over-commercialise this neighbourhood for a tournament that lasts a few weeks each summer, at the expense of green space used by local residents every day of the year, is not what our community wants. “Wandsworth Council has opposed this development from the start. We urge the AELTC to suspend its
Mar 14
Debate on Clause 222C of the English Devolution Bill, House Of Lords, 5th March 2026 (Call a Spade a Spade)
House Of Lords: Call A Spade A Spade (All quotes from Hansard) You will recall that back in November 2025 Lord Gus O’Donnell (director of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, AELTC) together with Lord Banner, Lord Grabiner and Lord Pannick attempted to insert a clause into the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which would have neutralised the legal case mounted by Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) to oppose AELTC’s plans to build on Wimbledon Park. The clause was Not Put in the face of c
Mar 6
SWP Briefing Note on Amendment 222C to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill
See this Save Wimbledon Park briefing note on Amendment 222C to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill :
Feb 21
Open Spaces Society Briefing: English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, Lords Grand Committee, amendment 222C
See this briefing from the Open Spaces Society on the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, Lords Grand Committee, amendment 222C.
Feb 18
Putney News: "Lords launch second attempt to strip Wimbledon Park of legal protection" (same peers, new bill)
Putney News | 16 February 2026 | Kieren McCarthy "Same peers, new bill, same mechanism abandoned three months ago." "Two peers who previously co-sponsored an amendment with an AELTC board member have tabled a fresh attempt to override open space protections for parks across England, three months after t heir first effort was abandoned following cross-party opposition in the House of Lords. Amendment 222C to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill would create
Feb 17
Clapham Junction Insider: Is there a Trust? Wimbledon expansion returns to High Court
Clapham Junction Insider | 10 February 2026 | Cyril Richert "From Southfields station to the Royal Courts of Justice, a vocal SWP crowd rallied outside the Royal Courts of Justice for the opening of a pivotal High Court hearing on whether a 150-year-old statutory trust protects the golf course land from the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s controversial £200m expansion. Despite the cold weather (at least without rain) —a stark contrast to last July’s warm sunshine—a similar gr
Feb 13
Putney News: Tennis Club Concedes Key Points As Judge Hints At Supreme Court Battle
Putney News | 25 January 2026 | Kieren McCarthy "Judge openly discusses appeals as six-day Wimbledon Park trial concludes." "The final day of the Wimbledon Park statutory trust trial concluded on Friday with the judge openly discussing how his ruling might be challenged in the Supreme Court – a striking signal that he may be leaning toward finding against the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC). After six days of intensive legal argument in a well-attended courtroom at the
Jan 25
The Statutory Trust Court Case Is Now Concluded - Thank You To All Our Supporters
The latest court case is now concluded. It hinged on whether the land of the former golf club is subject to a “statutory trust” under s164 Public Health Act 1875 - see SWP briefing notes . The Court's attention was drawn to two statements in the AELTG's Court papers. "It is admitted that if (contrary to the Claimant's [AELTG] case) s164 applied to the Golf Course Land it would preclude use of the Golf Course Land for the [current] Project". The 1993 Restrictive Covenants
Jan 24
Comprehensive Press Coverage of the Start of the AELTC vs SWP Statutory Trust Court Case
There has been comprehensive press coverage of the start of the AELTC vs SWP statutory trust court case . Here are some of the articles. More will be added as they emerge: BBC News, 16th Jan : Wimbledon plan faces dispute over 150-year-old law: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7mylp34m3o Reuters, 16th Jan : Wimbledon expansion plans back in UK court for latest legal battle: https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/wimbledon-expansion-plans-back-uk-court-latest-legal-battle-
Jan 16
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