SW Londoner: Concerns Wimbledon expansion plans threaten recreational park spaces

SW Londoner | 7th July 2025 | Heidi Bates

A Wimbledon community-spearheaded campaign raised concerns the approval for an expansion of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) threatens the accessibility of parks for recreational sport.

The Save Wimbledon Park group (SWP) raised over £130,000 for a judicial review to challenge the GLA’s approval of the Wimbledon Park Project which will expand into the former golf course land, a heritage Grade II* landscape.

The review, set to take place mid-Championships on 8 and 9 July, comes after four years of persistent debate of the AELTC plans to build 38 grass tennis courts and an 8,000 seater stadium, the Parkland Show Court.

The SWP group is concerned about the legitimacy of the plans and the environmental impact on this Metropolitan Open Land, which has the same level of protection as Green Belt.

SWP member Simon Wright said: “This is about local democracy and people having their voices heard.

“How can we make sure that institutions keep their word?

“I think at a time when people are losing their trust in democratic institutions, someone has to try and hold these people to account and it is about having the local people’s back.”

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