logo
Wimbledon tennis site expansion can go ahead, high court rules

Wimbledon tennis site expansion can go ahead, high court rules

The Guardian5 days ago
A proposed expansion of the Wimbledon tennis site will go ahead after the high court ruled in favour of an original decision to allow a further 39 courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, on the grounds of the old Wimbledon Park golf club.
A judicial review, which started as this year's 138th championship was under way, came after campaign group Save Wimbledon Park took legal action against the Greater London Authority (GLA) over its decision last year to allow the All England Lawn Tennis Club to almost triple its size.
Campaigners asked the judge to quash the original decision made in September 2024, and order it to be sent back to the GLA for reconsideration.
Residents have argued against the loss of green space as well as 10 years of disruption to the local area. They have also questioned its legality, as the proposed expansion would be on metropolitan open land, which has the same protected status as green belt.
The club's counterargument is that what was once a private golf course will be converted into land that will offer access to the public, including a 9.3-hectare (23-acre) park, with further green space open through the year outside the championships. The scaling up of facilities is necessary for players and to maintain the prestige of the grand slam tournament, it says.
The dispute goes back to 1993 when the All England club bought the golf course land from Merton council for £5.2m. It signed a covenant agreeing it would not use the land other than for leisure, recreational purposes or as open space. The campaign group, which raised £200,000 before the review, believes the proposals have violated that pledge.
Aside from the judicial review, a separate court action brought by the All England club will determine whether the land is for public recreation or protected by a statutory trust.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Free childcare crisis as surge in demand leaves funding black hole
Free childcare crisis as surge in demand leaves funding black hole

The Independent

timea minute ago

  • The Independent

Free childcare crisis as surge in demand leaves funding black hole

The UK government's expanded free childcare scheme is facing a significant funding shortfall due to unexpectedly high take-up, threatening the stability of the childcare sector. The scheme is now projected to cost an additional £1 billion annually from 2026/7, bringing the total to approximately £5 billion, substantially more than initial estimates. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson described the high demand as a 'good problem to have' and expressed confidence in the September rollout, though she could not guarantee local nursery places for all parents. Childcare industry leaders and experts warn that insufficient funding, combined with existing staff shortages, could lead to widespread disappointment for parents and force providers to limit places or increase fees. The Institute for Fiscal Studies highlighted the 'substantial pressure' this places on the Department for Education's budget, suggesting potential cuts in other areas may be necessary to meet childcare commitments.

Bend It Like Beckham sequel planned more than 20 years after first film
Bend It Like Beckham sequel planned more than 20 years after first film

The Independent

timea minute ago

  • The Independent

Bend It Like Beckham sequel planned more than 20 years after first film

Director Gurinder Chadha OBE has announced that a follow-up to her hit film Bend It Like Beckham is currently in development. Chadha revealed she has finally found a "fantastic story" for the sequel after 23 years of searching, inspired by the significant growth of women's football. The new project is targeting a 2027 release, which will coincide with the original film's 25th anniversary and the FIFA Women's World Cup in Brazil. Chadha hopes to reunite the original cast, including Parminder Nagra and Keira Knightley, and has enlisted US women's national team manager Emma Hayes to collaborate on the script. The original 2002 film, made on a budget of £3.5 million, grossed almost £60 million worldwide and is widely credited with inspiring a generation of female footballers.

Ministers want to overhaul rules to make it easier to open pubs and music venues
Ministers want to overhaul rules to make it easier to open pubs and music venues

The Independent

timea minute ago

  • The Independent

Ministers want to overhaul rules to make it easier to open pubs and music venues

Ministers have pledged to make it easier to open new bars, music venues and cafes as part of plans to rejuvenate the high street. Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she wants to 'protect pavement pints' as a new licensing framework will also fast-track permissions for al fresco dining in dedicated areas as the Government looks to modernise planning rules. The Government wants to make it easier to convert disused shops into venues, and dedicated 'hospitality zones' will be brought forward that could see permissions for outside dining, street parties and extended opening hours pushed through quickly. Developers will also be made responsible for soundproofing buildings they construct near pubs or clubs, to protect existing venues from noise complaints. The Government has said the plans will be subject to a call for evidence. The Business Secretary has said that 'red tape has stood in the way of people's business ideas for too long'. Jonathan Reynolds said: 'This Government has a plan to replace shuttered up shops with vibrant places to socialise, turning them into thriving cafes or busy bars, which support local jobs and give people a place to get together and catch up over a beer or a coffee. 'Red tape has stood in the way of people's business ideas for too long. Today we're slashing those barriers to giving small business owners the freedom to flourish.' Ms Reeves said that 'pubs and bars are at the heart of British life'. 'For too long, they've been stifled by clunky, outdated rules. We're binning them, to protect pavement pints, al fresco dining and street parties – not just for the summer, but all year round,' she added. An industry body warned earlier in July that the equivalent of more than one pub per day will close across Great Britain this year, pointing to high bills and taxes. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) estimated that 378 pubs will close this year across England, Wales and Scotland, which it said would amount to more than 5,600 direct job losses. The projected 2025 figures compare with 350 closures in 2024. Bar chain Brewdog announced this week that it would close 10 of its venues, as chief executive James Taylor told staff it is partly in response to 'rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures'. Representatives of the hospitality industry welcomed the changes but said they should go hand in hand with a cut to business rates as cost pressures threaten to 'tax out of existence' some businesses. Kate Nicholls, chairwoman of UKHospitality, said: 'We strongly welcome these proposals to cut red tape and make it easier to open and operate hospitality venues, create jobs and grow the economy. 'But positive and encouraging as these measures certainly are, they can't on their own offset the immediate and mounting cost pressures facing hospitality businesses which threaten to tax out of existence the businesses and jobs that today's announcement seeks to support.' Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: 'After bringing together key voices in the pubs and the wider hospitality sector, it's great news that many of the industry's recommendations on how best to cut red-tape and support growth will be acted on. 'These changes must go hand in hand with meaningful business rates reform, mitigating staggering employment costs, and a cut in beer duty so that pubs can thrive at the heart of the community.' Andrew Griffith MP, shadow business secretary, said: 'Though any cutting of red tape for hospitality businesses is welcome, this is pure hypocrisy and inconsistency from Labour.' He said the Government was 'crippling the hospitality industry by doubling business rates, imposing a jobs tax and a full-on strangulation of employment red tape'. 'As the result, shorter opening hours, shedding jobs and expensive pints are becoming the norm.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store