Wimbledon’s 38-court expansion delayed AGAIN ahead of Championships
Wimbledon’s 38-court expansion plan has been delayed yet again after the latest planning meeting was postponed.
The proposed expansion would see the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) – which at present is around 40 acres – nearly triple in size to over 110 acres using land from the nearby Wimbledon Park Golf Club.
It appears as if the latest planning meeting, which involves the local Merton and Wandsworth councils, has been postponed and may not occur until after this year’s Championships in July.
Wimbledon expansion scuppered?
Given the significance of the Championships to the capital and the local area, it is understood that the proposals will eventually get the go-ahead but the planning considerations may be passed on to the Mayor’s Office.
The AELTC brought out the lease of the golf club for £65m and the expansion, if successful, will see a dramatic change to the existing site.
The proposed plans for the Wimbledon expansion will see a new major stadium built with a number of other courts also constructed. There will be large open spaces and a public park, too.
The AELTC have recently completed the construction of a roof on Court No1.
Centre Court will remain the biggest arena at just shy of 15,000 while Court No1 will continue to hold around 11,500. The new show court will hold 8,000 if approved.
A spokesperson for the AELTC said: “We are continuing to follow the agreed planning process required of all applicants and are engaging positively with the planning officers at Merton and Wandsworth Councils.
“We believe these proposals offer a once in a generation opportunity to both secure the future of The Championships and unlock significant benefits for our neighbours, including a major new community park for London.”
Comment: Morning Wire editor Andy Silvester
“Strawberries and cream, Pimm’s and lemonade, obscure Eastern European winners of the ladies’ side of the draw? It’s a soft power spectacular for Britain and for the capital, and expansion makes sense.
“Speaking to people at the All England it’s clear the motivation is to ensure that the tournament in south west London remains the pinnacle of the sport, with facilities to match, and the plans include a new public park in an area that remains underserved in that regard. It seems a no-brainer to us.”