Anti-expansion protests held as Wimbledon begins

A group opposing plans to expand the Wimbledon tennis complex held a protest outside the ground as the tournament got under way on Monday.

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club (AELTC) wants to build 38 additional tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium on a former golf course opposite the site.

Members of the Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) chanted loudly, with many dressed as tennis balls, as fans queued for the opening day of play. They are concerned about the scale of the planned development and say local people's lives will be disrupted by it.

The AELTC said the development was "crucial to ensuring Wimbledon remains at the pinnacle of tennis" and would benefit the community.

The AELTC's proposals were given planning permission in 2024 and would see the existing site nearly triple in size.

The club said it only planned to build on private land it had previously purchased at the former Wimbledon Park golf course in south-west London.

However, SWP believe the public Wimbledon Park is at threat.

Speaking to BBC London, SWP member Susan Cusack said: "I think that what the All England Club want to do is just far too large.

"Our concerns are digging up 73 acres of metropolitan open land, the ecological and environmental damage that will do, [and] the issue that it will have with all the locals for 10 years while they're doing all that building work."

The AELTC wants to expand the site so it can host qualifying matches, in line with other Grand Slam tournaments.

But Cusack said she did not believe such a large development was necessary for the Wimbledon Championships.

"You start off with 128 people on day one. On day two, you have 64.

"So, probably, you don't quite need 38 courts, a stadium, a maintenance building .... and nine other buildings on metropolitan open land.

"This is corporate greed and it's corporate hoarding," Cusack said.

Protestor Simon Wright said: "They'll sell an extra 8,000 tickets a day. The trouble is the infrastructure can't cope with how many people are coming here at the moment."

He added: "What it will do, of course, is further the income of the All England Club, which is a private members' club."

The group accused the club of breaking a legal agreement not to build on the former golf course, although the High Court recently dismissed the claim.

In a statement, the AELTC said the plans would deliver "one of the greatest sporting transformations for London since 2012."

"They are crucial to ensuring Wimbledon remains at the pinnacle of tennis, one of the world's best sporting events, and a global attraction for both London and the UK.

"On offer are substantial year-round benefits for our community and the delivery of significant social, economic, and environmental improvements."

It added that more people supported the plans than opposed them during a consultation.

Save Wimbledon Park said it would continue fighting the plans.

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