Wimbledon Has Hit A Major Roadblock As Their Plan To Create A ‘Tennis Disneyland’ With 39 New Courts Has Been Rejected. The All England Club Had Big Dreams Of Expanding Their Current Grounds With An 8,000-Seat Stadium And 38 New Outside Courts, But It Looks Like Those Dreams Have Been Shattered. The Plans Faced Opposition From The Local Councils, With One Council Voting Against The Proposals.
The All England Club Had Its Eyes Set On Expanding The Current Grounds Of The All England Lawn & Tennis Club, And They Even Had The Support Of Wimbledon Park Golf Club Members Who Voted In Favor Of Selling The 120-Year-Old Club To The AELTC. However, Things Took A Turn When One Of The Local Councils Opposed The Plans, Putting A Halt To The Grand Expansion.
The Proposed Expansion Included A New 8,000-Seater Stadium And 38 New Outside Courts, Which Were Likened To Wimbledon’S Very Own ‘Disneyland’. The Size Of The New Development Extended Over The Borders Of Both Merton And Wandsworth Councils, And It Seems That The Two Councils Couldn’T See Eye To Eye On The Proposals.
Merton Gave Their Approval To The Plans Last Month, Despite Acknowledging That The Development Would Cause “Physical Harm” To Metropolitan Open Land. The Council Decided To Give Their Approval Because They Believed That “Very Special Circumstances” Would Outweigh Any Harm Caused. However, Wandsworth Didn’T Agree With This Decision And Advised Councillors To Vote Against The Proposals, Citing ‘Inappropriate Development On MOL, Both By Reason Of Impacts On Openness And In Principle’.
The AELTC Needs The Approval Of Both Councils And The London Mayor Before They Can Move Forward With Their Plans. A Spokesperson For The AELTC Expressed Surprise At The Recommendation Of Refusal From Wandsworth’S Planning Officers, Especially After Merton Had Resolved To Approve The Application. The AELTC Spokesperson Also Expressed Regret At Wandsworth’S Officers Taking A Different View, Leaving The Decision In The Hands Of The Planning Applications Committee.
Fleur Anderson, The Labour MP For Putney, Has Been At The Forefront Of The Opposition To The Wimbledon Expansion Plan, Leading The Fight On Behalf Of Many Local Residents. She Expressed Her Delight At Wandsworth Council Planning Officers Recommending The Refusal Of The AELTC Proposals For Wimbledon Park, Emphasizing The Importance Of Protecting The Grade II*-Listed Metropolitan Open Land. Anderson Highlighted The Need To Prove ‘Very Special Circumstances’ For Building On This Protected Land And Welcomed The Recommendation For Refusal As A Positive Step In The Right Direction.
The Fate Of The Expansion Plans Now Rests On The Upcoming Wandsworth Council Planning Meeting Scheduled For November 21, Where A Final Decision Is Expected To Be Made. If The Plans Are Approved, They Will Be Referred To London Mayor Sadiq Khan For Further Consideration.