The London deputy mayor for planning Jules Pipe has approved the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s planning application to build 39 new tennis courts in Wimbledon Park.
The proposals also include an 8,000-seat parkland show court on the grounds of the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course.
The park is classed as metropolitan open land, a designation intended to protect open areas that provide open-air facilities for sports, have biodiversity value, or form part of the green infrastructure network.
The Greater London Authority said that although the plans have “a significant effect on the use of metropolitan open land”, it considers “the overall benefits outweigh any harm in this area”.
The reported benefits include the provision of 11.1 ha of publicly accessible parkland that will be managed and maintained.
The development will employ an average of 50 to 400 construction workers per day between 2025 and 2033, said the Greater London Authority.
Although the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, Angela Rayner, could call in the application until the final decision notice is issued to the AELTC, she has indicated that she is content for the GLA to decide on the application.
Pipe 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.”
