Wimbledon’s expansion plans come after the judge’s ruling at the Court of Appeal

Wimbledon’s battle to build 39 new grass courts on a nearby golf course has taken a new twist after local residents were allowed to take a judicial review to the Court of Appeal.

Last year, the All England Club (AELTC) received permission from Jules Pipe, London’s deputy mayor for planning and renovation, to build the courses at the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club – a decision that was subsequently upheld by the High Court on July 21.

However, pressure group Save Wimbledon Park challenged that judgment and on Monday it was announced that Lord Justice Holgate had granted a judicial review of the court’s decision.

Explaining the reasons for granting the injunction, Holgate wrote: “The grounds of the appeal are arguable with a real prospect of success. The case law on the merits of the scheme, its feasibility, relevance, material considerations and irrationality merits review.”

SWP claims the expansion plans will create a “tennis industrial complex” that will damage the environment and that the community has not been properly listened to. It is also pursuing its legal battle with the All England Club on two other fronts, including a separate lawsuit in January in which a judge will consider the possibility that the golf course could be subject to a “statutory trust” and thus set aside for public recreation.

It is also considering whether to go to court to challenge a 1993 “restrictive covenant” by the AELTC Commission in which it pledged never to develop the land.

“This is a battle of David and Goliath,” Save Wimbledon Park said in a statement. “The AELTC is a wealthy, well-connected corporate developer who has worked for decades to take over a substantial portion of this highly protected public park for its own purposes.”

Christopher Coombe, a local lawyer who opposes the plans, said: “SWP has never been anti-tennis. We believe it is high time the AELTC recognized the range of legal and principled problems with its proposals and engaged constructively with SWP and the local community.”

However, the All England Club remains confident that its expansion plans, which would triple the size of the ground, will go ahead despite this latest stumbling block. In a statement, a spokesperson said: “We are confident that the Court of Appeal will ultimately find that the High Court made the right decision in upholding the grant of planning permission by the Greater London Authority for a development that will allow us to deliver one of the biggest sporting transformations since the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Our plans will create a permanent home for the Wimbledon qualifier, but crucially they will also deliver 27 hectares of beautiful new parkland for local people to enjoy, giving the public access to green space that has been used as a private members golf club for more than 100 years.”