In a landmark ruling that represents a stunning victory for local campaigners, the Court of Appeal has definitively blocked the All England Lawn Tennis Club's ambitious £200 million expansion plans for the Wimbledon Championships.
The three-year legal battle reached its dramatic conclusion as Lord Justice Lindblom and Lord Justice Underhill upheld the earlier High Court decision, preventing the club from developing the historic Wimbledon Park golf course.
Preserving London's Green Spaces
The ruling safeguards 73 mature trees that would have been felled under the proposed development, delivering a significant win for environmental campaigners and local residents who argued the project would cause "substantial harm" to the area's character and biodiversity.
Lord Justice Lindblom emphasised that planning judges should not overturn local authority decisions unless "clearly entitled" to do so, reinforcing the importance of local democratic planning processes.
A Bitter Planning Battle
The controversy began in 2021 when Merton Council granted planning permission for the expansion, only for neighbouring Wandsworth Council to launch a legal challenge. The Greater London Authority subsequently refused to intervene, leading to the protracted court battle.
The All England Club had envisioned building 38 new championship courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, on the 73-acre golf course site purchased for £65 million in 2018.
Community Triumph Over Commercial Interests
Iain Simpson, chair of the Wimbledon Park Residents' Association, hailed the decision as "a victory for all those who care about our precious green spaces and the right of communities to have a say in local development."
The ruling represents a significant setback for the AELTC's vision to transform Wimbledon into a grand slam tournament capable of rivaling the scale of the US and Australian Opens.
While the club expressed disappointment, stating they remain committed to "delivering the master plan to maintain Wimbledon's leadership in tennis," this decisive legal outcome appears to mark the end of this particular expansion ambition.
