Fresh legal twist in Wimbledon expansion saga
Wimbledon chiefs have begun a legal process in a bid to see off any lingering threat of a challenge to their £200m expansion plans for the world famous tennis club.
Opponents of the scheme want to use an obscure law to quash the planning permission finally granted last month, three years after the plans were first announced.
They claim that the land set to redeveloped on the former site of Wimbledon Park Golf Course may be subject to a statutory trust, which could see any consents overturned.
Wimbledon organisers the AELTC have been advised by three KCs that a statutory trust does not apply to their expansion plans but have opted to remove any doubt by going to court.
“Today we have issued a letter before action in order to begin this court process,” said a spokesperson for the All England Club.
“We believe that having this matter resolved is an important step that will deliver reassurance to us and to the local community.
“This marks the next phase of our long-term project that will maintain our position at the pinnacle of tennis and to deliver year-round benefits for local people with 27 acres of newly accessible parkland for everyone to enjoy.”
The Wimbledon expansion will almost triple the size of the All England Club’s existing site, adding 39 new courts – including an 8,000-seat show court.
The AELTC does not expect the latest legal twist to delay the works, with the hope that it will be resolved within 12 months.
Contractors are yet to be appointed for the project, the first step of which will see the former golf course land reprofiled to open up a new public park.
“Last month the Greater London Authority formally issued planning permission for our application to transform the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course,” the spokesperson added.
“These plans will secure the future of one of the world’s most treasured sporting events and deliver year-round benefits for the local community in Merton, Wandsworth and across London.
“The possibility of a statutory trust on the land was raised by the GLA in their officers’ report and the issue was dealt with appropriately by the GLA in granting planning consent.
“Our position, and that adopted by Merton Council on advice, was and remains that there is not, nor has there ever been, a statutory trust affecting the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course land.
“In the circumstances we recognise that the correct thing to do, at this stage, is to put the matter before the court to establish that there is no trust over the land.”
A spokesperson for Save Wimbledon Park Ltd said: “We have been pointing out for a considerable time that the statutory public recreation trust on which the AELTC hold the heritage golf course land is a fundamental block on the proposed AELTC development, and that the AELTC need to think again.
“We are glad to hear that the AELTC now recognise our point of view and note that they wish to take this to litigation rather than engage in any discussion.”