British tennis ace Tim Henman backs £200 million Wimbledon expansion

British tennis star Tim Henman has threwn his support behind a proposed controversial £200 million expansion of Wimbledon.

On the eve of this year’s championship, the four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist warned that the current site is ‘struggling’ to meet the needs of elite tennis players and that a proposed major redevelopment will ensure it remains the world’s top tournament.

The All England Club, which hosts the event, wants to build 39 new grass courts, including an 8,000-capacity show court, on a former golf course opposite the site.

But the project, which will see the historic club trebling in size from 42 to 115 acres, has been opposed by local campaigners, who have branded it an ‘industrial tennis complex’.

The Mayor of London’s office is set to decide on the scheme, with a crunch planning hearing due to be held later this summer. 

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But last night BBC pundit Henman, 49, a former world No 4, highlighted how Wimbledon is the only one of the four Grand Slam tournaments where qualifying matches are not held on the same site as the main tournament.

‘Transforming the former golf course to bring the qualifying event on site will provide world class facilities for the players and will enable more fans to get closer to the action. It really is a win-win,’ Henman told The Mail on Sunday.

‘The current practice facilities are struggling to accommodate the performance needs of elite athletes, and this holds the club back in maintaining its position in a competitive sporting landscape. 

‘These proposals will allow Wimbledon to stay ahead of other global sporting events and will secure the status of the championships at the pinnacle of sport for decades.’

As well as the new facilities, the club is proposing to build 27-acres of publicly accessible parkland. But the plans are facing fierce opposition. 

Christopher Coombe, of the Save Wimbledon Park Group, said: ‘The golf course is heavily protected – it’s green belt. It’s a Grade II*-listed park. The buildings and the amount of development they are proposing are way too much.’

The scheme is also opposed by the Tory and Lib Dem candidates in the marginal Wimbledon seat.

Debbie Jevans, chairman of the All England Club, said last night: ‘The long term benefit of this transformation will outweigh any short-term disruption.’