New Delhi: Wimbledon, the world’s oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournament, has taken a big step forward in its bid to expand the grounds after campaigners’ attempts to block the project were rejected by London’s High Court.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club passed a big legal hurdle in their quest to treble the size of its main site, which has hosted the Championships since 1877. The 200 million-pound ($265.5 million) project would feature 39 new courts.
While AELTC’s plans to revamp a former golf course, which it owns, are supported by several top players and some residents, campaign group Save Wimbledon Park has been involved in a legal battle with the prestigious club.
The campaign group took legal action to challenge planning permission, arguing the land is subject to a statutory trust and must be kept for public recreation.
The AELTC requested a High Court ruling that the land is not subject to such a trust, with its lawyers arguing that it has never been used for public recreation.
Following a hearing in January, Judge Nicholas Thompsell, in a written ruling, said that the land was never dedicated to the use of public recreation and so “could be sold without imposing upon the purchaser a public trust where one had never before existed”.
AELTC chair Deborah Jevans said the ruling “represents a significant milestone for our plans”.
Save Wimbledon Park is seeking permission to appeal.
The expansion plans were challenged by Save Wimbledon Park in a separate case last summer over the planning permission approved by the Greater London Authority in 2024.
In their argument, Save Wimbledon Park said that GLA failed to properly inspect the restrictions on redeveloping the land. However, their challenge was quashed, but the group has the permission to appeal against that ruling.
(WITH INPUTS FROM REUTERS)
