Wimbledon tennis club hits back at calls to withdraw plans for huge expansion
By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter
The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has hit back at calls to withdraw plans for a huge expansion of its famous Wimbledon home.
The club wants to expand into Wimbledon Park Golf Club under plans that would span 67 hectares between Wimbledon and Wandsworth.
The club said the plans, which include an 8,000-seat show court, would bring “substantial public benefit” to the area.
But now The Wimbledon Society has called on the club to withdraw the plans and resubmit them.
It claims since last summer more than 100 extra documents have been submitted by the AELTC.
In a letter to Merton council’s planning department, the society said: “For all planning applications, the public and the planning authority expect to see a coherent set of documents that clearly describe the proposals.
“With so many subsequent amendments and corrections, substitutions and additional material, it is now totally unclear what set of documents actually forms this application.
“This is not only intolerable, but it also makes it impossible for the public properly to engage in the public consultation.”
A spokeswoman for the All England Club said: “Our planning application for the AELTC Wimbledon Park Project has been the subject of extensive consultations over many months.
“We have spent a great deal of time answering questions from local residents and groups, and we’re delighted that more than 4,000 people have attended one of our consultation events or been on a site visit.
“We will continue to follow the clearly defined and agreed planning process as is required from any applicant.
“Within this beautiful and historic landscape, the AELTC Wimbledon Park Project will unlock some truly significant benefits for the local community and the natural environment alike.
“We look forward to continuing our positive dialogue with council officers, elected representatives and the local community as the planning process progresses.”
Pictured top: The Rosewater Pavilion at the All England Lawn Tennis Club (Picture: Tara O’Connor)
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