The Liberal Democrats have urged the Mayor of London to reject plans for the expansion of Wimbledon tennis following the decision by the London Borough of Wandsworth to refuse planning permission for the building of an industrial tennis complex on protected Metropolitan Open Land.
The plans include building an 8,000-seat stadium, 38 further tennis courts, ten outbuildings and over 9 km of roads on Wimbledon Park.
As the proposal straddles the border between Wandsworth Council (who have rejected the proposals) and Merton Council (who have approved them), the decision will be referred to the Mayor of London.
The scheme has proved unpopular with local residents, with over 16,000 signatures being gathered against the plans so far. Local campaigners headed to City Hall today to make their feelings known to the Mayor of London.
Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member & Environment Spokesperson Hina Bokhari has now called on the Mayor to reject the expansion plans, citing the harmful impact on local biodiversity, the negative precedent it would set for the protection of Metropolitan Open Land and due to the impact on local residents.
Commenting Hina Bokhari AM said:
“Now these plans have been referred to Sadiq Khan he must step in and ensure they do not go ahead.
“The Mayor has previously sought to big up his environmental credentials, but now must ensure he lives up to his rhetoric.
“If he was to greenlight this project it would not only harm the local areas biodiversity, but it would set an awful precedent for the protection of Metropolitan Open Land across London. Londoners must have access to open green spaces both for their physical health and mental health.
“I will continue to press the Mayor to ensure he makes the right decision and rejects these plans.”
Adding his comments, Cllr Paul Kohler, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Wimbledon said:
“The All England Club’s proposals will result in the concreting over of huge swathes of Metropolitan Open Land. I urge the Mayor of London to refuse this application and ask the Club to come back with a more modest scheme that allows for a measured and sensible expansion of the tournament in keeping with the Mayor’s much vaunted green agenda.
“The ball is now in Sadiq’s court, and I trust he will hit a winner for the residents of Wimbledon by refusing the current application.”
