Wimbledon’s plans for a ‘tennis Disneyland’ have moved a step closer after planning permission was granted to the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) by the local council. The plans to build 39 new tennis courts and a new 8,000-seater stadium on a neighbouring golf course have been approved by Merton Council after a meeting on Thursday night.
At a meeting at a local church in September, residents accused club representatives of the AELTC for “lying” about the extent of the developments.
There was no shortage of opposition on Thursday night either, as protesters stationed themselves outside the London Borough of Merton Civic Centre with banners that read ‘Save the park… elitist exploitation’, ‘No to Tennis Disneyland’ and ‘Shame, set and match’. Wimbledon residents are furious that green space will be used to expand the venue for what is being dubbed ‘Wimbledon Disneyland’.
And after several hours of debating and a tense vote, Wimbledon’s plans for the largest expansion in its history overcame its first hurdle after receiving planning permission from Merton Council at four minutes past midnight.
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The majority vote was reached with six votes in favour and four against. Notably, all six Labour representatives on the Merton Council planning committee voted to approve the All England Club’s application.
There is still a long way to go before construction can start and an estimated completion time means ‘Disneyland’ may not be built until the 2030s. But clearing opposition in the local council has been viewed as a small success.
But the decision only seemed to increase the fury of those protesting, with a climate protestor forcing the rest of the meeting to be adjourned immediately following the vote after they shouted in the chamber. The unidentified man reportedly told those who backed the AELTC’s application to “hang your heads in shame”.
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Part of the blueprint will see qualifying moved to the new 39 courts, which will help free up courts on the main site for the two-week Grand Slam event.
AELTC chief executive Sally Bolton has described the plans as the ‘greatest sporting transformations in London since the 2012 Olympics’, with the All England Club assuring that seven of the 39 courts would be made available for public use.
Bolton also previously defended the plans to acquire Wimbledon Park and pointed out that their plans for the ‘Disneyland’ include protecting green spaces for locals to use. “Our planning application for the AELTC Wimbledon Park Project has been under consideration by the London boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth for more than two years,” she said at a previous meeting.
“These proposals have been rightly and properly subject to a very high level of assessment and consultation both prior to and since their submission. We are proud of the substantial community benefits included within the application, which include year-round permanent access to 23 acres of beautiful new parkland available for the free use of the local community.”
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