Opponents of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships’ expansion plans are rallying public support ahead of a crucial court battle in July, warning that their four-year campaign to stop the development could collapse without urgent funding.
The Save Wimbledon Park campaign, which has been fighting against the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s (AELTC) plans to build 38 practice courts and an 8,000-seat stadium, has secured permission [pdf] for a Judicial Review. However, campaigners say they must raise £200,000 to cover legal costs – or risk losing the fight.
In an appeal to local residents, SWP has announced two public meetings later this month where supporters can learn more about the case and how to contribute to the campaign’s legal fund:
- March 26th, 19:30 – 21:30 at Sacred Heart Church, Wimbledon SW19
- March 31st, 19:30 – 21:30 at St Barnabas Church, Southfields SW18
Campaigners warn that if they fail to secure the funds, the AELTC’s controversial expansion—which they claim will destroy trees, disrupt wildlife, and turn green space into an “industrial tennis complex”—will proceed unchecked.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Jeremy Hudson said:
“This is our last chance to stop the AELTC Project and make them think again. The courts have agreed that our case deserves a full hearing, but without funding, it won’t happen.”
The legal battle centers around three key objections:
- Legal Restrictions on the Land – Campaigners argue that AELTC’s planned development violates a statutory public recreation trust and restrictive covenants put in place to protect the land from commercial projects.
- Heritage & Environmental Concerns – The site is considered a historic green space with longstanding recreational value, which opponents say should not be sacrificed for private expansion.
- Public Access vs. Private Use – SWP claims the development limits public enjoyment of the area, despite AELTC’s promise to create new parkland.
SWP hopes to rally local opposition and push for an alternative approach that preserves green space while ensuring Wimbledon remains a world-class tennis venue.
The public meetings will feature comedy writer and broadcaster Andy Hamilton (Have I Got News For You?), a long-time Wimbledon resident and vocal opponent of the plans. Campaigners say he will provide an entertaining but serious take on why the community should fight back.
Wimbledon tennis club’s response
Meanwhile, AELTC remains firm in its position, insisting that its expansion will provide long-term benefits, including new parkland and securing the future of The Championships.
With the legal showdown now set for early July, campaigners say time is running out to stop the development.
“We’ve come this far, but we need the community’s help now more than ever,” Hudson urged. “If we don’t act, we lose this fight—and Wimbledon Park could be changed forever.”
Permission for the scheme – which will see 38 practice courts and an 8,000-seater stadium built on a golf course across the road from the Championships’ existing site – was granted by London’s deputy mayor for planning, Jules Pipe, in September last year.
