Wimbledon Park Golf Club was bought for over £60 million in 2018. Photo: Telegraph/Heathcliff O'Malley
How are you getting that figure back? The golf course will triple AELTC's footprint, which will increase maintenance costs but have little impact on broadcast or marketing revenue. The daily throughput during the tournament will increase from 42,000 to 50,000, but this is hardly a transformational shift.
However, a curious mystery of British tennis finance means that AELTC can probably write off the costs without too much stress. The development loan can be covered by the sale of debt. If operating income (typically around £60m on revenue of around £260m) declines, the budget of the Lawn Tennis Association (which is entitled to Wimbledon's 90% surplus) will suffer.
The difficulty lies in taking development beyond the line. We are talking about a deep rooted conflict that will definitely not be over by Christmas. The level of bitterness is rising faster than legal costs.
An example is local Wimbledon MP Stephen Hammond, who was usually invited to sit in the Royal Box at some point during the tournament, but neither he nor Fleur Putney's Anderson will appear on the guest list this summer after criticizing AELTC's arrogant approach during an appearance on the BBC's London show Politics in December.
Speaking to Telegraph Sport this week, Hammond said: “While I oppose this planning application, I have consistently said that I will work to find a solution that is acceptable to both locals and AELTC. I want the relationship between the club and the local community to return to the great state it was four years ago.”
Hammond's mid-level proposals include reducing the proposed 38 grass courts to 25, further consultation with local residents about a public park at the southern end of the site, and building bridges over Church Road to prevent this important artery from being blocked during Wimbledon Fortnight (which will increase to three weeks if you add qualifying competitions).
Of course, bridges need to be built in a broader, more metaphorical sense. But it looks like the debate has moved beyond the facts and into the realm of emotion, which always makes disputes more difficult to resolve.
Hackle numbers have risen among the many wealthy and powerful residents of Wimbledon. Looking back, more could have been done to bring them into the room early on. But then the initial stages of this project were derailed by Covid and the transfer of leadership. And there was another unexpected setback when AELTC property manager Robert Ditker abruptly left last summer.
As fierce as the heated battles on the Wimbledon court escalate this summer, they are unlikely to become as bitter and divisive as they are in the back. the cold war rumbles.
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