Few contests in the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s 147-year history have been as prolonged or fractious. But at City Hall on Friday the battle over plans to build 39 new courts at Wimbledon will reach a potentially decisive point.
On one side of the net stands the AELTC, which will say that the expansion is needed to ensure Wimbledon remains the world’s pre-eminent tournament. However, that is disputed by local residents’ groups and MPs, who question why Wimbledon needs to almost triple in size from 41 to 115 acres and the legality of building on metropolitan open land.
