Wimbledon’s expansion plans boosted when judge dismisses legal challenge

By Associated Press

Wimbledon’s expansion plans, which would almost triple the size of the tennis tournament grounds, received a boost Monday when a judge dismissed a campaign group’s legal challenge.

The Save Wimbledon Park group took legal action against the Greater London Authority’s decision to grant planning permission last year.

Aside from concerns about the environment and overall scale, opponents argued that the adjacent property that was a golf course when the All England Club bought it in 2018 is subject to restrictions that favor preservation of open spaces for the public.

Wimbledon’s plan includes adding an 8,000-seat stadium with a retractable roof and 38 other grass courts that would allow the All England Club to move its qualifying event on-site to boost attendance and revenue.

“In short, the defendant’s decision on the relevance of deliverability, applying to both the statutory trust and the restrictive covenants, was a planning judgment rationally exercised and having