Wimbledon’s world famous tennis club may be about to grow in size after a large redevelopment was approved by Merton Council.

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) in Church Road, Wimbledon, is made up of two sites on either side of Somerset Road. The larger site, where the main club facilities are based and where the Championships are held every summer, is based on the eastern side.

The smaller site, on the western side and known as the Somerset Road site, contains two buildings which house five indoor tennis courts, as well as chillers for the air conditioning of centre court. These courts are used as a warm up and administration area during the Championships, and by members of the AELTC for the rest of the year.

The club’s proposals are for these five indoor courts to be demolished, and be replaced by a new building with six indoor courts, as well as six outdoor clay courts and an underground car park with space for up to 338 cars and 60 bicycles. It also includes nine covered outdoor parking spaces and the relocation of the chiller plant which services the centre court roof.

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The proposed indoor tennis courts. Picture: Rolfe Judd Planning

Although Merton Council approved the proposals at a planning application committee meeting on Thursday, March 16, the application must now be given the green light by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, before it can proceed.

Chief executive of AELTC, Richard Lewis, said: “We welcome Merton Council’s resolution to grant planning consent as one which will allow us to redevelop our Somerset Road site into an integrated world class facility, in keeping with our aim to provide the finest stage in world tennis.

“The application will now be considered by the Mayor of London and we look forward to receiving his decision shortly.

“We have consulted widely with our neighbours throughout the process and we remain committed to working with them to bring about the best outcome.”

According to the planning application, the current courts are “at the end of their serviceable life and are beyond cosmetic repair”. The new courts will continue to be used by AELTC members throughout the year and for practice by tournament competitors.

During the Championships, the site will continue to act as the main transport hub for courtesy cars, bus drop offs and parking, as well as continuing to act in an administration capacity for ticket collection and security checks.

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The plans, which focus on upholding ‘the feeling of tennis in an English garden’, also includes the removal of 49 trees, the planting of 86 new trees and new railings installed around the boundaries of Somerset Road and Marryat Road.

17 letters of objection were registered against the proposal, with concerns raised including the size of the new development, the increase in traffic and pollution, the congestion likely to be caused in the area while the site is under construction, the increased noise and disruption from a larger site and the proximity of the new development to the border with Newstead Way.

The proposals are part of the club’s master plan to develop the grounds. According to the planning statement by Rolfe Judd Planning, the redevelopment of the Somerset Road site “is crucial to the delivery of the AELTC’s master plan, which aims to ensure Wimbledon continues to be regarded as the finest stage in world tennis.”

To view the plans, click here. 

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