Following a public hearing at City Hall, Jules Pipe, the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service, has approved the planning application for All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) to transform the former Wimbledon Park golf course.
The plans will see an additional 38 grass courts, as well as a new Show Court, allowing the AELTC to bring the Wimbledon Qualifying event on-site for the first time – with the tournament bringing a wide range of economic and social benefits to London and nationally.
At the public hearing, GLA officers provided a detailed update on the proposals. Jules Pipe then heard views from Merton and Wandsworth Councils, and a range of supporters and objectors who had registered to speak.
The plans include:
- An additional 27 acre (11.1 hectares) of public park, the site of a former private golf course, to be publicly accessible, managed and maintained as parkland.
- Improvements to Wimbledon Park Lake and the creation of a new 3km boardwalk for the public. This is together with over £10 million of further improvements to the existing public park to include the provision of an enhanced multipurpose sports and leisure facility, drainage improvements to the sports fields, improved footpaths and new toilets, alongside a range of other recreational and heritage enhancement works.
- A minimum of seven new Championship standard grass tennis courts open for community use.
- The planting of 1500 new trees and an increase to the extent and quality of biodiversity across the land, with a suggested measurable biodiversity net gain of at least 10 per cent.
- Increased provision of tickets to the Championships to the local community and schools, including 450 tickets per day prioritised for Merton and Wandsworth residents at face value and 50 made available free of charge through the Wimbledon Foundation. 1000 free qualifying tickets for the Qualifying Event will also be made available for school children in Merton and Wandsworth.
The GLA considered the benefits and disadvantages of the proposals in relation to a range of areas including environmental, design, transport, social, economic and cultural. While the plans have a significant effect on the use of metropolitan open land, the GLA considered the overall benefits to outweigh any harm in this area – including the provision of 11.1 hectares of publicly accessible parkland that will be managed and maintained.
The GLA found that the total economic impact of the Championships, incorporating these plans, are projected to be worth in the region of £336 million to the UK economy each year, of which it is estimated that £326 million would occur within London. These plans will support 40 new jobs across the year and more than 250 new jobs during the Championships. Additionally, the plans will employ an average of between 50 to 400 construction workers per day between 2025 and 2033.
The very significant public benefits of the scheme, including enhancements to open space and recreation, economic, employment and heritage were therefore deemed to clearly outweigh the harm identified and allow for planning permission to be granted.
Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service, said: “These plans for the site of a former private golf course will bring significant benefits to the local area, the wider capital and the UK economy, providing increased access to open green space and sport, new parkland and a host of new jobs. Hosting qualifying events on the same site as the Championships will put Wimbledon on a global footing with other Grand Slam tournaments and ensure it remains one of the world’s top sporting events. The scheme brings a huge range of economic, social and cultural benefits which will contribute to building a fairer, greener and more prosperous London for everyone.”
