Off-court battle: Neighbours attempt to thwart plan for another 39 courts

“I love this tournament, I love what they’ve done with it, but I do not love what they’re developing it into,” said Jonathan Pinkess on day five of Wimbledon.

- Geneva Abdul

Standing in the morning sun, handing out flyers against the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s expansion plans, he is one of many local residents who fear the championships will usurp their green space.

To ensure Wimbledon maintains its standing on the tennis circuit, the AELTC plans to develop a further 39 courts, including an 8,000-seat stadium, on the grounds of the former Wimbledon Park golf club. Local opposition, however, has long questioned why the “industrial-scale development” is needed.

A judicial review will start this week — while the 138th edition of the tournament is under way — to hear a challenge from a campaign group against planning consent granted to the club last September.

Residents facing 10 years of disruption have questioned the legality of that decision. Gary Forde, 58, who has been part of the Save Wimbledon Park campaign for years, said: “It’s not just a local issue, it is a national issue, because it would set an unhealthy precedent for other areas that are subject to development threat.”