Earlier this summer, on the first Friday of the All England Championships, Samantha and I were sitting in the Royal Box alongside the likes of Gary Lineker, Anthony Joshua & Mary Berry watching Emma Raducanu’s valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to reach the 4th Round.
Four days later, I was standing outside the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand, alongside a large number of my constituents, supporting Save Wimbledon Park’s valiant but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to overturn the Mayor of London’s decision to grant the AELTC planning permission to build a 10-storey stadium, 38 further tennis courts, 10 outbuildings, and over 9km of road across Wimbledon Park.
Some constituents have asked how I could do both and was it not hypocritical to accept their hospitality, but then support the Judicial Review.
It’s a fair question but a charge I do not accept.
As your MP, part of my role is to promote the constituency and support both its people and its businesses.
To decline an invitation to the Championships, in my capacity as MP, would have been seen as a snub to one of the most significant businesses in the constituency.
Likewise, whilst I was privately sceptical the planning permission would be overturned, it would have been quite wrong not to stand with my constituents in support of Save Wimbledon Park’s legal action.
As for the current state of play; not withstanding the High Court’s decision, the match is still very much on – the Save Wimbledon Park group might have lost the first set but there are two more still to play; and unlike in the tennis, they only need one to win.
In January, the High Court is set to hear the public trust case which, following the comparatively recent Supreme Court decision of Day v Shropshire, will determine whether or not the land the AELTC bought in 1993 is subject to a public trust.
No matter what they say publicly, the All England Club cannot be feeling overly confident, with the 5 KCs who have advised on the position currently split 3 to 2.
The AELTC’s title is clearly not certain.
That, of course, is why the AELTC are funding the SWP group’s legal action, as it would be challenging (to say the least!) to raise the finances necessary for the development when such serious doubts exist over the extent of their rights to the land.
The legal action is likely to last some time, as whichever party loses at first instance is likely to appeal; but close on the heels of the initial hearing into the public trust comes next May’s local elections where my party will be seeking to wrest control of Merton from Labour who have been in charge for all but 4 of the last 30 years.
Why is that significant?
Because, no matter what happens in the public trust case, and even though the AELTC have planning permissions, the covenants they agreed back in 1993, not to build on the land they were buying, are still very much operative and enforceable – provided Merton Council choose to enforce them.
That’s why my party has tabled a number of motions in Council meetings calling on the Labour administration to enforce the covenants – only for them to vote us down on each occasion.
I have always said that ultimately what happens on Wimbledon Park will be a political decision which is why I have been trying to get the AELTC to talk to both the local community and the local council.
Thankfully, after four years of refusing, Debbie Jevans, the much more amenable new chair of the All England Club, has adopted a fresh approach and agreed to my suggestion to meet with the SWP group before the Championships and is due to meet them again this month.
Sadly, Merton Council are still refusing to engage; but that could all change following next May’s election – depending upon who wins of course!
My position, echoing that of the SWP group, remains the same.
We want a compromise that allows the All England Club to continue to prosper whilst preserving the amenity of Wimbledon Park.
That means scaling back the plans, improving the District Line tube service and addressing issues such as the problems that occurred this year in particular with the ever increasing numbers of people camping overnight in the park.
Interestingly, every member of the All England Club Samantha and I talked to during our day in the Royal Box agreed that all we needed was a compromise.
So it’s one set down but everything to play for!
