AELTC Increases Public Access to Wimbledon Park

Posted by UK Property Forums on 14th May 2024 -

The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has announced plans to create a new four-acre public parkland as part of its proposals to transform the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course.

This enhancement to the proposals comes following consultation with the Greater London Authority and an extensive public consultation period. Since the planning applications were submitted in July 2021, more than 7,000 people have attended one of the Club’s events.

The proposed new parkland will be located at the northern entrance to the site and will be adjacent to the entrance to the existing Wimbledon Park, owned and operated by Merton Council. This northern parkland will complement the 23-acre parkland already proposed in the southern part of the site, bordering Home Park Road. This means that subject to the permission granted by the planning permission, more than 27 acres of the former private members’ golf course will be open to the public for use as part of the successful delivery of the AELTC Wimbledon Park Project.

The proposed northern parkland will be accessible year-round outside the Qualifying Competition and The Championships. The intention is that this new parkland will significantly enhance visitors’ experience entering Wimbledon Park from Wimbledon Park Road. The northern parkland will include new seating set within grasslands, areas of wildflower meadow, tree and woodland planting, and a tranquil pond. There will also be the opportunity to host small events – such as farmers’ markets, exhibition stall-type activities, and leisure activities, such as yoga and fitness classes. During the Qualifying Competition and The Championships, the northern parkland will be the gateway into the event for visitors approaching from Southfields.

The All England Club also proposes to enhance some of the community facilities in the much-loved public Wimbledon Park. Subject to planning permission being granted, the development will unlock a state-of-the-art children’s playground, new public toilet facilities, extensive new planting, an upgrade to the Watersports and Outdoor Centre, and new pathway links to the northern and southern parklands.

Deborah Jevans CBE, chair of the All England Club, said, “I am delighted that, following the many thousands of conversations we have had with local people about our plans and working with the Greater London Authority, we are now able to propose even more green space for Londoners to enjoy, on land that has been inaccessible to the public for more than 100 years.”

“Our overarching plans to transform the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course will deliver one of the greatest sporting transformations for London since the 2012 Olympics. We continue to be committed to delivering significant social and environmental improvements, as well as creating hundreds of jobs and generating millions of pounds in economic benefits.”

Alongside this announcement, the All England Club has confirmed that the projected economic boost to London from The Championships will exceed £ 300 million through direct and indirect impacts once the project is completed. This is alongside the creation of more than 250 new jobs for The Championships, as well as many hundreds of jobs throughout the project’s construction phase.

New CGI images of the development have also been made available, including a visualisation of the newly proposed northern parkland and new views of the Parkland Show Court from both the former golf course and Church Road.

Plans to bring the Qualifying Competition to SW19 and to create significant year-round community benefits currently sit with the Mayor of London’s office. The Greater London Authority will open a consultation on these enhancements to the scheme’s design today, which will be open for 30 days. Anyone wishing to share a view on these enhancements can do so via this link.

In the meantime, the Greater London Authority will continue its detailed examination of the proposals. We look forward to confirmation of a date for a public hearing on our applications in the coming months.