Everywhere you go in my part of south-west London it is impossible not to know a major, possibly the major tennis tournament in the world, is about to commence.
Bars, restaurants and shops have giant yellow Slazenger tennis balls in their windows, alongside tennis rackets. Some are decked out in the green and purple colours of the Wimbledon championships.
On the roads, there are Wimbledon branded black Land Rover Defenders ferrying players back and forth to the practice grounds. At the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club itself, home of the competition, last-minute preparations are under way to welcome the crowds that will soon arrive.
For two weeks this leafy, quiet corner of the capital will be busy and heaving, firmly atop the global sporting calendar. This being the first proper Wimbledon with spectators since Covid, the atmosphere is especially buzzy and upbeat. There is, though, a cloud threatening the mood.
The famous tennis club sits in a bowl. At the top, in one direction, is the spire that provides the TV cameras with their iconic panoramic shots. Between church and courts is almost 30 hectares of landscaped parkland, which makes for a fabulous vista, as the architect, Lancelot "Capability" Brown, intended.
The greenery houses a golf club, Wimbledon Park. All of it, including golf course, has been bought by the All England Club, with the objective of building its Parkland Show Court in a 28-metre-high, 8,000 seat-stadium, extra facilities and 37 further courts for practice and the qualifying tournament, presently held at nearby Roehampton.
Wimbledon Village shops are ready for the tournament. Mark Chilvers for The National
Residents and historical protection groups object, saying the Wimbledon expansion will create an eyesore and destroy the areas carefully cultivated ambience. The parkland is Grade II* registered, designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, and an official Open Space.
The All England Club bought the land from Merton Council in 1993 and agreed to a restrictive covenant, not to use it except for leisure or recreational purposes or as an open space and not to build on it. It then leased the site back to the golf club, but has now bought out the lease, in a deal that saw the golfers, including television presenters Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly better known as Ant and Dec and broadcaster and journalist Piers Morgan, each collect 80,000.
Wimbledon argues that since it leased the land to the golf club, tennis has exploded in popularity, and in financial potential. This year, 500,000 spectators will attend over the fortnight, and millions around the world will watch on TV. Last year, the All England made a profit of 43.3 million on increased revenue of 288m.
Despite that success, the club maintains the additional courts and buildings are vital because Wimbledon is in danger of losing prestige and falling down the pecking order of rival Grand Slam tournaments in terms of what it offers and what it can therefore earn.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 05: Aerial view across the grounds as spectators watch the big screen on the outside of No.1 Court during Day Seven of The Championships - Wimbledon 2021 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 05, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by AELTC/Joe Toth - Pool/Getty Images)
The opposition is unimpressed, and since last year, more than 1,200 people have made formal objections to council planning officers. The two sides are at loggerheads and passions are running high.
In several respects, the tennis club does not have a leg to stand on its protected open parkland and the covenant is there, in black and white. But if the All England is correct and it has consistently shown itself to be a smart judge, constantly making changes that have kept Wimbledon at the peak of the sport it should be allowed to redevelop.
The championships may only last a fortnight but theyre a godsend to the economy of the surrounding district, to London and to Britain. Theyre a fixture of the summer season, a magnet for foreign visitors, a global advert for British tradition and success.
Its true that the vista will be spoiled however hard Wimbledon tries, a new stadium is not easily hidden. But that view was available only to those in the smart apartments and large houses overlooking the parkland. It was not land either that could be walked upon, except by golfers.
Wimbledon, though, is determined its agreed to all sorts of expensive environmental and aesthetic measures to blend in the new project. Its also willing to let locals have access to the grounds outside the championships, and in a first for the tournament, its prepared to throw in free tickets for the new show court.
The planned expansion of the Wimbledon site. Photo: AELTC
Even this may not be enough to win the necessary approval. There are local left-wingers who regard the championships and the All England as elitist. The recent change in control of neighbouring Wandsworth council, from Tory to Labour, does not augur well for Wimbledons prospects.
Its certainly true that membership of the club is afforded only to the privileged few. Tennis, as well, is hardly a peoples sport. Its mostly played in private clubs and is not noted, in the UK anyway, for its diversity and inclusivity.
... too often in the past, where architecture and heritage are concerned, weve allowed the regulations to stand in the path of progress
Nevertheless, strides are being made to improve, and in this regard, Wimbledon, despite the exclusivity of the All England, is in the vanguard. Much of the cash generated by the championships is going towards initiatives to make tennis more popular.
Which is the point. Because Wimbledon is a fine example (some might say, increasingly rare example) of something that Britain does extraordinarily well. To risk that hegemony seems crazy.
There are rules, of course there are, and they should be followed. But too often in the past, where architecture and heritage are concerned, weve allowed the regulations to stand in the path of progress, when compromise and reasonableness would achieve an acceptable result for both sides.
The All England should be prevailed upon to pay due heed to the legacy of Capability Brown and the concerns of the various groups and residents. That means going as far as possible to make the plans conform and non-objectionable. But equally, it should be acknowledged, where Wimbledon is concerned an exception can and must be made. Its a matter of national interest and importance, culturally and economically, and Wimbledon has to prevail.
A view of the outside courts and centre court at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London. All photos: Getty Images
Published: June 22, 2022, 1:51 PM
View post:
As tennis fans gather Wimbledon worries expansion won't get over the line - The National
- 7 Reasons to Retire and Relocate When Savings Fall Short ... - ThinkAdvisor - October 9th, 2023 [October 9th, 2023]
- Strive Asset Management vs. Engine No. 1: How Did the Activists ... - Morningstar - September 21st, 2023 [September 21st, 2023]
- New Taskforce to build UK nuclear skills - GOV.UK - July 31st, 2023 [July 31st, 2023]
- National Bank of Canada FI Has $16.22 Million Position in ... - Defense World - June 26th, 2023 [June 26th, 2023]
- RIT part of National Science Foundation grant to help spur next ... - Rochester Institute of Technology - May 22nd, 2023 [May 22nd, 2023]
- 2023 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Regional Awards - U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association - May 22nd, 2023 [May 22nd, 2023]
- P&I wins ASBPE national gold award for managers microsite - Pensions & Investments - May 22nd, 2023 [May 22nd, 2023]
- The National - January 30th, 2023 [January 30th, 2023]
- Dimon Highlights Need For More Oil And Gas Investment As Vanguard Bails On ESG Group - Forbes - December 16th, 2022 [December 16th, 2022]
- About Us | National Vanguard - November 19th, 2022 [November 19th, 2022]
- Vanguard News Network - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Retirement Clearinghouse Announces Auto-Portability Network with Fidelity, Vanguard and Alight | PLANSPONSOR - PLANSPONSOR - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- Abenaa Jones named Ann Atherton Hertzler Early Career Professor - Pennsylvania State University - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- City of Detroit, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, join the Black Theatre Network (BTN) to host Broadway Comes Home to Detroit, a... - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- California Senate Votes to Keep Legalized Slavery in its Prisons - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis - June 29th, 2022 [June 29th, 2022]
- Schneider National (NYSE:SNDR) Now Covered by Analysts at Credit Suisse Group - Defense World - June 29th, 2022 [June 29th, 2022]
- Introducing the Truckstop.com Partner Marketplace: A Comprehensive Transportation and Logistics Ecosystem Empowering the Freight Community - Yahoo... - June 29th, 2022 [June 29th, 2022]
- A Pilgrimage to the Birthplace of the Modern Womens Rights Movement - AFAR Media - June 29th, 2022 [June 29th, 2022]
- White Child Adopted by Black Reality TV Star Beaten to Death - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- National Car Rental - Wikipedia - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Down 15% in 2022, is it time to jump on Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF? - The Motley Fool Australia - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- LIVE BLOG: 2022 Corps at the Crest - San Diego - FloMarching - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Greater Sacramento Attends Bio International Convention in San Diego - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Vanguard International Semiconductor : VIS and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Cofound Intelligent Manufacturing and Management Laboratory -... - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- The Shadow Of June 12 - The Left and Nigeria's Democratic Revolution, By Baba Aye - SaharaReporters.com - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Yolo County Honors Juneteenth with Celebration - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Commentary: Why San Francisco May Not Be the Best Test Case for Progressivism - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Vanguard Charitable survey: More than 1 in 3 American donors gave half or more of their charitable contributions to disaster relief efforts in the... - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- National Grid warns on cost-of-living challenges after strong profit (NYSE:NGG) - Seeking Alpha - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- Is it a good time to buy the Vanguard Australian Shares Index ETF? - The Motley Fool Australia - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- Student Opinion: The Biden Administration and Cable Companies Working Together to Bring Internet to Millions of Households - The Peoples Vanguard of... - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- THE POWER OF LEADERSHIP - THISDAY Newspapers - May 20th, 2022 [May 20th, 2022]
- Vanguard may be shorting much vaunted 'owners' of its low-cost index funds as it upshifts to more Wall Street-style exec-comp tactics to thwart... - May 17th, 2022 [May 17th, 2022]
- Opinion | BlackRock, Vanguard and State Street Control a Piece of Nearly Everything - The New York Times - May 17th, 2022 [May 17th, 2022]
- Somalis receive explosive threat reduction training | Shephard - Shephard News - May 17th, 2022 [May 17th, 2022]
- JV Article: Platinum Group Metals is at the vanguard of next generation lithium-ion batteries - The Northern Miner - May 17th, 2022 [May 17th, 2022]
- Neo-Nazi Alex Davies guilty of belonging to banned terror group National Action - Tell MAMA - May 17th, 2022 [May 17th, 2022]
- Firearm-Related Homicides Reach an Unprecedented Level in the 21st Century - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis - May 17th, 2022 [May 17th, 2022]
- Satellites, the Space Race, and Supercomputing: How NASA Goddard's Beowulf Cluster Computer Became an Award-Winning Space Technology - NASA (.gov) - May 17th, 2022 [May 17th, 2022]
- Vanguard may be shorting much vaunted 'owners' of its low-cost index funds as it shifts to Wall Street-style exec-comp tactics to thwart competitors... - May 15th, 2022 [May 15th, 2022]
- Senate Democrats Fail to Codify Abortion Rights; Don't Have Votes to Overcome Filibuster Dem Manchin Votes with GOP - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis - May 15th, 2022 [May 15th, 2022]
- The School Buzz: Vanguard rocketry team competing for national title - KRDO - May 9th, 2022 [May 9th, 2022]
- The Anglo-Indian-Nigerian designer at the vanguard of British fashion - The National - May 9th, 2022 [May 9th, 2022]
- Candidate for Yolo County District Attorney Cynthia Rodriguez Announced Her Growing List of Endorsements in a Press Release on Thursday - The Peoples... - May 9th, 2022 [May 9th, 2022]
- Commentary: Trends Are Pushing Tech, Housing Toward Sacramento Region - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis - May 9th, 2022 [May 9th, 2022]
- UK Government announces 2 billion investment into nuclear submarines - The National - May 9th, 2022 [May 9th, 2022]
- Workers grapple with new stresses as they return to office - Tampa Bay Times - May 9th, 2022 [May 9th, 2022]
- Who is Ib Kamara, the new Off-White art director to fill Virgil Abloh's shoes? - The National - May 9th, 2022 [May 9th, 2022]
- Vanguard Lions Defeat Statesmen To End The Year - Victory Sports Network - April 15th, 2022 [April 15th, 2022]
- Other days - Arkansas Online - April 15th, 2022 [April 15th, 2022]
- Democrats are in danger of losing three congressional strongholds in South Texas - Standard-Times - April 15th, 2022 [April 15th, 2022]
- Remembering the WNBA's Portland Fire - Vanguard - Psuvanguard.com - April 13th, 2022 [April 13th, 2022]
- Honoring the life of Amara Marluke - Vanguard - Psuvanguard.com - April 13th, 2022 [April 13th, 2022]
- The grim outlook of owning and renting - Vanguard - Psuvanguard.com - April 13th, 2022 [April 13th, 2022]
- 2022 NAIA Women's Outdoor Track & Field Rating Index Week 3 - U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association - April 13th, 2022 [April 13th, 2022]
- ECOWAS and Nigeria Agree on a Roadmap to Institutionalise a Government and Society Wide Approach - African Business - March 17th, 2022 [March 17th, 2022]
- LA Treasurer joins other states in divesting Russian investments - KATC News - March 8th, 2022 [March 8th, 2022]
- How the US and Europe helped Ukraine prep for insurgency - ArmyTimes.com - March 8th, 2022 [March 8th, 2022]
- A Trailblazing Engineer Says Invention Is in Everything I Do - Tufts Now - March 8th, 2022 [March 8th, 2022]
- Russias Invasion of Ukraine and Implications for the Korean Peninsula - Council on Foreign Relations - March 8th, 2022 [March 8th, 2022]
- Vanguard University saying goodbye to the Pit - Los Angeles Times - January 14th, 2022 [January 14th, 2022]
- Energy Ended Up as a Good Bet Last Year. But Now What? - The New York Times - January 14th, 2022 [January 14th, 2022]
- Kensington Vanguard National Land Services - December 19th, 2021 [December 19th, 2021]
- Barry Harris, Pianist and Devoted Scholar of Bebop, Dies at 91 - The New York Times - December 10th, 2021 [December 10th, 2021]
- From Our Archives: a Profile of Bob Dole, Once the Senate's "Funniest Member" - Washingtonian - December 7th, 2021 [December 7th, 2021]
- National Auto Care on acquisition spree amid F&I consolidation - Automotive News - December 5th, 2021 [December 5th, 2021]
- A decade of marketisation has left lecturers with no choice but to strike - The Guardian - December 5th, 2021 [December 5th, 2021]
- A New Vanguard Is Reshaping the Art World - HarpersBAZAAR.com - December 5th, 2021 [December 5th, 2021]
- Opinion | The Trump Conspiracy Is Hiding in Plain Sight - The New York Times - December 5th, 2021 [December 5th, 2021]
- The forgotten importance of the War of Jenkins' Ear - The Economist - December 5th, 2021 [December 5th, 2021]
- What Conservative Critics of Higher Education Share - The Atlantic - December 5th, 2021 [December 5th, 2021]
- The Unite the Right trial is exposing the chasm between who plans White nationalism's battles and who does the fighting - ABC17News.com - November 19th, 2021 [November 19th, 2021]
- Tordue Salem: Journalists ask National Assembly to order independent inquiry into death of missing reporter - Premium Times - November 19th, 2021 [November 19th, 2021]
- Abu Dhabi to Welcome Two New Museums in Addition to Guggenheim and Zayed - Artforum - November 19th, 2021 [November 19th, 2021]
- Gauteng government at the vanguard of SAs green economy plans - Business Day - November 17th, 2021 [November 17th, 2021]
- 25 years of school and family connections | Hub - The Hub at Johns Hopkins - November 17th, 2021 [November 17th, 2021]
- Opinion: Organized crime is a top driver of global deforestation and climate change - Houston Chronicle - November 17th, 2021 [November 17th, 2021]
- Letters to the editor: Lend a hand to these family caregivers - Austin American-Statesman - November 15th, 2021 [November 15th, 2021]
- University of Chicago to award four honorary degrees at 2022 Convocation - UChicago News - November 9th, 2021 [November 9th, 2021]
- Review of Misfire by Tim Mak: How the Wheels Came Off at the NRA - The New Republic - November 9th, 2021 [November 9th, 2021]