Wimbledon expansion case heard in London High Court
Campaigners against the proposed expansion of the Wimbledon Championships site argued that it is illegal in the High Court on Tuesday ahead of a key decision on the future of SW19.
Campaign group Save Wimbledon Park is taking legal action against a decision by the Greater London Authority (GLA) to grant the All England Club permission to develop 39 courts, including a 8,000-seat arena, on land adjacent to the site that is currently hosting the Championships.
Lawyers for the challengers said on Tuesday that the decision was “unlawful”, adding that the Grade II* Wimbledon Park site had restrictions imposed on how it could be used.
A decision on whether the judge, Mr Justice Saini, quashes the motion is expected in writing in a couple of weeks.
Some residents local to the site have contacted CityAM to express their support for the plans, despite inconvenience in the short-term.
Sasha White KC, for the campaigners, said: “You could not have a more protected piece of land within the planning system, frankly.
“The burden on [the All England Club] to justify the proposal… was very strong.”
Wimbledon in court
The permission was granted by deputy mayor for planning Jules Pipe after Wandsworth and Merton Councils were split over the decision. Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan recused himself from making a call on the plan over previous support which could have left him open to claims of bias
White added that the land was subject to a “statutory trust requiring it to be kept available for public recreation use”. The All England club insists that there will be available parkland that was previously inaccessible to the public who did not have a membership for the golf course.
The All England Club, which runs Wimbledon, acquired the freehold for the golf course in 1993 and added the leasehold in 2021.
Mark Westmoreland Smith KC, for the GLA, wrote that the decision was a “planning judgment properly exercised and having regard to the appropriate and relevant factors”.
Russell Harris KC, for the All England Club, wrote that the GLA was able to grant the permission in 2024 “even if the development is incompatible with a different, non-planning restriction on the use of the land”.