Wimbledon will come and go, but the battle over expansion plans lingers on – and many expect it to continue for several more summers.
Any visitor to last week’s Roehampton qualifier will have noticed the site’s transformation. What used to have the homely atmosphere of a fairground now feels almost like a regular tour event, with additional courts and improved facilities for players and spectators.
It tells you something that the All England Club – who once hoped to make the qualifying rounds to their new country across the road by the end of the decade – must now have a long-term vision.
The Bank of England Sports Ground’s lease has been extended well into the 2030s and the former Wimbledon Park golf course is unlikely to be converted into a tennis facility any time soon.
The latest news from Merton Council is that the main planning application will not be heard until September, with the date having been repeatedly postponed since the beginning of last year.
Wimbledon’s expansion plans are expected to continue to rumble for years to come
Qualifiers at Roehampton last week will have seen the transformation of the site into what now feels like a normal tour event
Whatever the outcome, it is fully expected that this will not be the end of it, with the case being referred to higher authorities and then possibly to the courts. Given the icy pace of planning processes in the UK, this could take years to resolve.
One of the many complications associated with the delay is the emergence of a possible precedent from Shrewsbury, with the High Court ruling against the council in their sale of some public recreational land to developers.
Whatever the implications, this saga and the local feelings it has evoked have proved highly problematic for the All England Club.
Wimbledon rightfully believes it is necessary to grow its site to maintain its position in tennis. As always in life, competition has been the driving force for the Grand Slams to better themselves in what they have to offer.
Melbourne Park has become a jewel in the heart of the city. Roland Garros, which has been going through similar scheduling difficulties, has shone this year and Court Suzanne Lenglen will soon have a roof. Even Flushing Meadows has improved enough to suggest that some version of a silk purse could be made from a sow’s ear.
When it comes to the dispute over Wimbledon’s plans, positions are entrenched between the club and the alliance of local objectors.
There has always been a certain lack of worldliness at the All England Club and the initial approach was remarkably arrogant.
The lack of any community tennis facility in the original application was one of the smaller but more astonishing missteps. The local population is rightly concerned about the nuisance that will be caused by tens of thousands of trucks driving back and forth for many years to come.
Wimbledon 2023 started at the iconic venue on Monday, although rain has disrupted early play
Court Suzanne Lenglen at the French Open is getting a roof in the near future
Even Flushing Meadows – home of the US Open – has improved enough to suggest that some version of a silk purse could be made from a sow’s ear.
However, some objections have a much more false ring. For example, it is not the case that the former private golf course was a public space, although they sometimes seem to suggest that.
Local MP Fleur Anderson popped up on Twitter last week with a video entitled ‘Save Wimbledon Park’. The impression was given that the larger park is somehow threatened by its wealthy neighbour, which is clearly not the case. They are generous benefactors to the place.
You involuntarily wonder if at this stage, even after years of squabbling, it would be possible to find common ground between the parties, with a compromise reached to the satisfaction of most people (you can never always make everyone happy).
The vast majority of the local population, even some staunch opponents, recognize the value of the tournament to the area and its businesses and are proud of how it puts SW19 on the map.
Its reputation for organizational excellence has frayed somewhat in recent years – see Monday’s events – but it remains a rare sporting gem. One way forward could be a community partnership to oversee the new land, at least the proposed new park being offered.
Only two courts on SW19 – No 1 Court (left) and Center Court – have modern retractable roofs
Representatives from outside the club would be given a say in how the club is run and how to maximize benefits for the wider population, while also taking environmental considerations into account.
Something similar happens with the nearby expanse of Wimbledon Common, which is managed by conservators who go through a public election process.
For now, there are some temporary marquees and buildings on the 73 acres in question. Away from the tournament it is now somewhat overgrown and sits opposite the existing grounds, which at other times of the year usually seem to house all the activities of the Mary Celeste.
One of the great tricks Wimbledon has pulled over the years is to keep up with the times while keeping a sense of history. The importance of this project for the future can hardly be underestimated. Wedged into current acreage, the sense of paralysis over the expansion plans will become unsettling.