Amendment to Planning Bill Could Favour Wimbledon Park Scheme
AELTC director Lord O'Donnell was one of the sponsors of proposed change
Lord O'Donnell enjoying the tennis at Wimbledon. Picture: SWP/Facebook
A proposed amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill has drawn criticism from MPs and campaigners who say it could significantly weaken protections for public recreation land and directly benefit the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC). The amendment, numbered 250, is backed by Lords Banner, Grabiner, Pannick, and Lord Gus O'Donnell—who also serves as a director of the AELTC.
The amendment seeks to overturn the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Day v. Shropshire , which held that land sold by a local authority for public recreation remains subject to a statutory trust unless proper consultation procedures are followed. If passed, the amendment would apply retroactively to 1980, potentially affecting decades of land transactions—including the 1993 sale of Wimbledon Park Golf Club land to the AELTC. That land is now the subject of a legal challenge due to its alleged trust status, with a court case scheduled for January 2026.
Campaign group Save Wimbledon Park Ltd has voiced strong opposition. Director Jeremy Hudson said, "This retroactive amendment defies the rule of law. It seems highly probable that this amendment is specifically intended to assist the AELTC in its proposed development of the golf course land, given that one of the sponsors of the amendment is Lord Gus O'Donnell, a Director of AELTC.â€
MPs Fleur Anderson and Paul Kohler have also raised concerns. The Putney MP described the amendment as "a desperate attempt by AELTC to change the rules so they can push their development through,†warning that it could reduce protection for green spaces across the country.
Mr Kohler, MP for Wimbledon, criticised the amendment as "a scandalous back door attempt to secretly rewrite the law,†and questioned whether Lord O'Donnell's involvement constituted a conflict of interest. "As the AELTC will directly benefit from the change to the law he is sponsoring, there appears to be a clear conflict of interest,†he said.
He also noted that Lord O'Donnell's entry in the House of Lords register of interests does not currently list his directorship at AELTC. According to Companies House he has directorships with two companies related to the All England Club and he has confirmed that as a former member of the Wimbledon Park Golf Club he would have been eligible to receive a £86,000 payout as a result of the early termination of the lease when the course was purchased by AELTC.
Lord O'Donnell as Cabinet Secretary—the UK's most senior civil service role—from 2005 to 2011 under Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and David Cameron. Before that, he held various positions at HM Treasury and the International Monetary Fund, and was the UK Ambassador to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
CGI of the aerial view of the completed scheme. Picture: AELTC
The amendment is expected to be debated in the House of Lords on Monday 27 or Wednesday 29 October. If adopted, it could have far-reaching implications for public land held under recreation trusts, and for the future of the AELTC's proposed expansion.
Lord O'Donnell has not publicly responded to these criticisms at the time of writing.
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