The Save Wimbledon Park campaign (“SWP”) has been actively working since 2021 against the proposal of the All England Lawn Tennis Club (“AELTC”, the private club that annually run the Wimbledon tennis Championships) to develop the highly protected former Wimbledon Park golf course into an industrial-scale tennis complex.  

We believe the scale and scope of the proposed development is unjustified and unlawful. 

The AELTC propose to more than double the number of grass courts, add another 8000-seat stadium as well as 10 other buildings including a 30,000 sq ft maintenance depot.  The AELTC’s stated reason for this extensive development is so that the Qualifying Tournament, a four-day tournament prior to the main Championships, can be held at the main Wimbledon site rather than 4 miles away in neighbouring Roehampton.  Click here for more details on the scale and specifics of the proposed development.

SWP are crowdfunding to proceed with a Judicial Review (“JR”) of the GLA’s grant of planning permission for the proposed development.  

JR is a legal process that allows courts to examine whether a decision made by a public body is lawful.  Legal fees for a JR are expected to be approximately £200,000. This includes expenses already incurred of over £50,000, which have been funded by a small group of seed funders. 

The heritage land is a valuable irreplaceable habitat meant for the people to appreciate as a public recreational green space protected under Trust.  It is Metropolitan Open Land, a Grade II* listed park, in a Conservation Area and a heritage “Capability” Brown landscape.  It is one of the most protected spaces in London.  Click here for a summary of the environmental issues.

There are over 50 Metropolitan Open Land sites in Greater London which are similarly under threat from development.

The land, located in both Merton and Wandsworth Councils, was purchased in 1993 by the AELTC subject to a restrictive covenant prohibiting development - making any large-scale development unlawful. Click here for more information on the covenants.  

Merton approved the AELTC’s planning application whilst Wandsworth unanimously refused it. The GLA ultimately approved the planning application.

SWP and our lawyers believe the land is also the subject of a Statutory Recreation Trust, which means it should be widely accessible to the community.  The GLA’s lawyer agrees with SWP that the land is in a Statutory Trust.  The AELTC deny this and are intending to go to court to try to establish that this is not the case. The land is meant for all, not just for private use three weeks out of every year.  Development of the site would be incompatible with community use.  Click here for information on the Statutory Trust.

The High Court has now issued an Order confirming that Save Wimbledon Park may proceed for Judicial Review of the GLA’s planning decision. 

The Court decided that “The Claimant [SWP] has raised arguable grounds which merit consideration at a full hearing”.  The case is now listed for Trial in July 2025. Click here for more information on the current legal situation.

Save Wimbledon Park Ltd firmly believes that disputes are best settled by discussion, not by resorting to lawyers and the courts and continues to encourage a healthy dialogue to resolve the dispute. 

However, despite our repeated requests we’ve not been able to persuade the AELTC to meet with us to try and resolve this matter. 

We are extremely grateful to members and supporters who, so far, have generously contributed to the seed-funding which enabled us to receive legal advice and take these first legal steps. Without your help this would not have been possible. It’s a real David and Goliath story playing out and we truly believe in the community having a voice, in fair play, and in best practice for all.

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions or visit our website www.savewimbledonpark.org for more information.     

Thank you!