Opponents of Wimbledon’s ambitious expansion plans are confident they can still block them from going through despite effectively losing round one to the All England Club.
On Monday, planning officers recommended Merton Council’s planning committee grant permission for an 8,000-seater show court and 38 other grass courts on the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course.
But campaigners say they are “ready for the next stage of the fight” in what looks set to continue to be a protracted dispute.
Merton councillors will vote on the proposal at a meeting on the evening of Thursday, October 26 with Wandsworth Council, whose boundaries also cover part of the site, set to also rule on it next month.
The matter would then be referred to London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Greater London Authority, with arguments not just over planning but covenants regarding the site and the legality of the expansion project.
Following the planning recommendation, Iain Simpson, chair of Save Wimbledon Park, said: “We are disappointed but not surprised by the report. We believe that common sense in the long run will prevail because all the objections we have made over the last two-and-a-half years are valid.
“To say that there will be ‘no significant adverse effects’ is extraordinary when they plan to flatten and bulldoze most of what is actually a 75-acre area when it is a grade one site of borough importance for nature conservation.
“This is a planning assessment only and separate permission will be needed to resolve ownership and rights before any development can or will proceed. This is only the beginning and we are ready for the next stage of the fight.”
There are a variety of objections ranging from its environmental impact to fears that the proposed show court could be used for events outside of the Wimbledon fortnight.
There is also the complexity of the covenants regarding an agreement between Merton Council in 1993 and the All England Club over keeping the area as open space.
The planning officers’ recommendation is a body blow to opponents, who have likened it to a “David and Goliath” battle.
Fleur Anderson, MP for Putney, Southfields and London, said: “I am extremely disappointed that planning officers have given the green light to the AELTC proposals to build on Wimbledon Park. Generations of people have fought for public access to green space. We must keep up the fight.
“I urge Merton and Wimbledon councillors to consider what waving through these proposals will mean, not just for residents of south west London, who rely on the park for their access to nature and wellbeing, but for public green space across the country.”
That was echoed by Merton councillor Paul Kohler, bidding to become Wimbledon’s next MP, who added: “People were expecting this. The fight is not over. We will continue to fight. You can still beat the big guys.”
As part of the proposals, it is recommended that Wimbledon spend £8.5million on “enhancing Wimbledon Park in heritage, recreational and amenity terms” and make at least seven of the new courts open to the public from mid-July to mid-September.
Following the recommendation, a spokesperson for the All England Club said: “We are pleased that planning officers at the London Borough of Merton have recommended the AELTC Wimbledon Park Project for approval. Our plans will be considered by members of the council’s planning committee on October 26 and we hope they feel able to support the officers’ positive recommendations.”
