@Allies&Morrison/AELTCLocal campaigners are to take legal action to the Court of Appeal over plans to nearly triple the size of Wimbledon’s tennis courts.
In September 2024, the Greater London Authority (GLA) approved plans by the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) to build 38 tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium on the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club in west London.
Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) said it was delighted to be able to appeal and described their challenge as “David versus Goliath”.
The AELTC said the plans “will create a permanent home for the Wimbledon qualifying tournament and provide 27 acres of beautiful new parkland”.
Simon WrightIn July, SWP launched legal action in the High Court against the GLA’s decision to grant planning permission for the extension, but this was dismissed.
At that hearing, SWP lawyers told the court the decision to approve the plans was “unreasonable” and should be quashed.
They claim Wimbledon Park is a Grade II* listed heritage site, partly designed by Lancelot “Capability” Brown, and protected by trusts and covenants governing how it is used.
SWP said after the ruling that it believed the judge “did not adequately consider the statutory trusts and restrictive covenants”.
Separate proceedings are currently ongoing in the High Court on the existence of a statutory trust, with a hearing in that case due to take place in January 2026.
SWP said the approval of the appeal showed “the community and SWP cannot be ‘steamed over'”.
Christopher Coombe of the SWP said: “The SWP has never been opposed to tennis. We believe it is time for the AELTC to recognize the substantial legal and principled issues with its proposals and sit down with the SWP and the local community for a constructive dialogue.”
public mediaThe AELTC said it was “confident that the Court of Appeal will ultimately find that the High Court made the right decision in upholding the GLA’s grant of planning permission”.
The club said the scheme would “deliver 27 acres of beautiful new parkland for locals to enjoy, providing green space for the public which has been used as a private members golf club for over 100 years”.
A GLA spokesperson said: “The Mayor believes the scheme will deliver a range of significant benefits to the local area, the wider capital and the UK economy, including environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits.
“It will create new jobs, public green space and cement Wimbledon’s reputation as the greatest tennis event in the world.”
The company said it could not comment further due to ongoing legal proceedings.
The appeal hearing will be held in two days, with a date yet to be determined.
