Before objecting to a proposed Wimbledon expansion, it’s worth considering the proportion of land occupied by fairways and greens
The proposed expansion of the site of the Wimbledon tennis championships has not gone down well. The All England Club wants to triple the size of its premises and construct 39 new courts, one of which will have an 8,000-seater stadium. The application has received more than 1,000 objections and only 27 letters of support, though, to be honest, I’m not sure who writes letters of support for planning applications. It would be like contacting Ofcom to say you’d enjoyed a television programme. So I expect that’s 27 letters from the stadium architect’s mum.
Why does Wimbledon want to get bigger? Isn’t it nice as it is? Why the aspiration to change? It’s out of character for an institution that has resolutely resisted pressure to get rid of the grass or dress code. What do they need all the extra space for? “Our aim is to keep the championships at the pinnacle of tennis and to deliver tangible benefits for our communities,” said a spokeswoman for the club.
