LONDON, March 19 (Reuters) - Wimbledon's plans to expand the grounds for the world's oldest and most prestigious Grand Slam tennis tournament cleared another hurdle on Thursday, as campaigners' attempts to block the project were rejected by London's High Court.
The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club wants to treble the size of its main site, which has been home to the Championships since 1877, in a 200 million-pound ($265.5 million) project which would feature 39 new courts.
The AELTC's plans to redevelop a former golf course which it owns are supported by several leading players and some local residents.
But campaign group Save Wimbledon Park, which took legal action to challenge planning permission, argued the land is subject to a statutory trust, meaning it must be kept for public recreation.
The AELTC sought a ruling from the High Court that the land is not subject to such a trust, with its lawyers saying it has never been used for public recreation.
After a hearing in January, Judge Nicholas Thompsell ruled in the AELTC's favour, saying in a written ruling that the land was never dedicated to the use of public recreation and so "could be sold without imposing onto the purchaser a public trust where one had never before existed".
AELTC chair Deborah Jevans welcomed the ruling, which she said "representsa significant milestone for our plans". Save Wimbledon Park said it intended to seek permission to appeal.
The expansion plans were at the centre of a separate case last summer, when Save Wimbledon Park challenged planning permission approved by the Greater London Authority in 2024.
Save Wimbledon Park argued in that case that the GLA failed to properly take account of restrictions on redeveloping the land. Their challenge was rejected, but the group has since been granted permission to appeal against that ruling.
($1 = 0.7533 pounds)
(Reporting by Sam TobinEditing by Christian Radnedge)
