Wimbledon Expansion Plans
The Evening Standard newspaper reports on Wimbledon’s expansion plans to a nearby golf course it owns.
They plan to build an 8,000-spectator capacity Parkland show court and 38 new grass courts. This proposal will more than double the current size of the AELTC.
Wimbledon Park Golf Club’s transformation envisions ‘Parkland Court’ as the third-largest. The plan, outlined on Wimbledon’s website, proposes 38 grass courts for on-site tournament qualifying.
If given permission, the All England Club, currently 42 acres, would nearly triple in size to 73 acres, including the newly acquired Golf Club for £63.75 million. This expansion could make ‘Parkland Court’ operational by 2030, joining Centre Court and Court No1.
Despite the increase in size, the overall capacity of the grounds would only increase from 42,000 to around 50,000 persons.
Development begins this year; once complete, Church Road closes during Wimbledon fortnight, treating the entire 115-acre site as a single entity.
The additional grass courts would allow qualifying on-site by 2028, three miles away at the Bank of England Sports Centre in Roehampton, which is up for sale, rather than the current location.
The planning document unveiled a new court amid ancient oak trees, featuring a retractable roof. It aims to preserve Wimbledon’s “Tennis in an English Garden” essence, ensuring a world-class structure blending with its surroundings.
The document adds: ”The new show court, and indeed all of the grass courts, will be well integrated into the landscape, respecting topography, veteran and historic trees and important viewpoints.
Nestled in a clearing surrounded by ancient oaks, the new show court blends seamlessly with the landscape. It’s a finely crafted, natural extension of its surroundings.
The proposals also outline plans for public use of the grounds during the 11 months when the tournament is not being held.
The club commits to crafting a “striking walk around the lake perimeter” and providing community access to park areas. Additionally, they plan to explore the broader use of grass courts post-Championships.
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Residents’ consultation indicates Wimbledon qualifying won’t be on the All England Club site until 2029, as expected.
The AELTC purchased Wimbledon Park Golf Club for £64 million in 2018, aiming to expand the Championships and bring on-site qualifying by 2025.
Members of the golf club received £86,000 each. But that process is now expected to be delayed and still relies on local councils’ planning permission.
In the consultation document, residents were told: ”If we receive planning permission from the London boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth, it will take at least six years to construct the new tennis courts”.
”It will take at least two years for these courts to mature enough to be suitable for the Championships.”. That means qualifying looks set to remain at its traditional base in Roehampton for the foreseeable future.
For more information on the expansion plans, please visit the link below:
https://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/about_wimbledon/estate_master_plan.html
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