It is a somewhat ironic coincidence that while the world’s top tennis players will be fighting out the later stages of the leading Grand Slam Tennis Tournament in the world at Wimbledon, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) who are responsible for the venue, will be fighting opposition to their development plans at the Royal Courts of Justice, the oldest judicial system in the western world.

The AELTC plans for expansion of the site at Wimbledon are to build 39 tennis courts and an 8.000 seat arena on the former golf course land at Wimbledon Park. These plans are now the subject of proceedings in the High Court. There are two separate court cases currently in progress between Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) and the AELTC. The first is a Judicial Review (JR) of the decision of the GLA to grant planning permission for the AELTC development. Those proceedings are listed for hearing on 8 and 9 July 2025.

The second case relates to the legal status of the land. SWP, acting as a Representative Defendant, will argue that the land is protected by a statutory trust for public recreation.  The AELTC disagree with this and have started High Court proceedings to decide the point. The Court has decided that the Attorney General, as guardian of the public interest, should also be joined in the proceedings. The trial has been fixed to start in mid-January 2026, with a time estimate of 6 days. The AELTC has agreed to cover SWP’s legal costs of acting as a Representative Defendant in this case.

The AELTC argues the development will open up a part of the park that it says was “inaccessible to the public for almost a century”. Save Wimbledon Park has concerns around the environmental impact.

Those matches take place about three-and-a-half miles (5.6km) away at Roehampton’s Community Sports Centre. That site can cater for about 2,000 spectators a day, whereas the new development could host up to 10,000 meaning the grounds as a whole could see up to 50,000 visitors per day.

Debbie Jevans, chair of the AELTC, is quoted as saying: “We are already very tight for space. We want to be able to match what other Grand Slams do to maintain Wimbledon at the pinnacle of the sport. We always talk about history and tradition with Wimbledon but we need to evolve and deliver economic benefits both locally and nationally. When the Court assesses the plans, they will be able to see the due diligence we have gone through. I don’t dismiss people’s concerns and respect their point of view. I want to ensure the basis of their concerns is based on facts.”

Representatives of the Save Wimbledon Park campaign are quoted as saying: “We all love the tennis. They do a great job across the road – they don’t need to be here [on the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club] as well. We have had 22,000 petitioners, 1,100 separate donations to our fighting fund [for the Judicial Review] and serious local support from all the councillors and the MPs.”

AELTC said it recently conducted a survey of about 10,000 residents in Merton and Wandsworth which found support had increased from 50% to 62% in the last six months. It said the strongest support was among residents aged under 44, with 74% in this group in favour of the plans. The strongest reasons cited for supporting the project was its “commitment to protecting and enhancing local green spaces”.

“Most of the Park will be open in perpetuity to the public. There will be no hotel, no railway station, just a 23-acre public park.”

Residents in East Sheen and Mortlake may wonder about an AELTC commitment to openness of the Park in perpetuity. Historically they had access to what was the Bank of England site at Roehampton for a variety of sports. AELTC acquired their lease in 2021. Since then AELTC policies and politics in Merton, Wandsworth and Richmond have led to very limited local use of one of the most pleasant green spaces in SW 13, 14 and 15, other than for hiring tennis courts and some paying clubs. And no access whatsoever for three months in the summer unless for one week you pay to watch the Wimbledon Qualifiers.

The eventual AELTC plan is to move the Wimbledon Qualifying Tournament from the Wimbledon Qualifying and Community Sports Centre in Roehampton to the new site but they now expect to extend the existing lease to 2036. If they lose in the Courts they may be looking at extending that lease further.