ORANGE and white cones circle an expanse of what was once the fairway of Wimbledon Park Golf Club's fourth hole.
Trees are marked up for removal except for a giant oak, which has stood for hundreds of years and is known as one of the 41 veterans which have a safe future.
Within the outline of the cones will stand an 8,000-seat tennis court, with a working title of Parkland Show Court, one of 38 courts the All England Club are planning to build to bring Wimbledon qualifying on site and also expand the boundaries of the annual Championships.
Looming imminently is the recommendation from Merton Council officers ahead of a much-delayed planning committee meeting in March or April, which will go a long way to deciding whether the controversial plans can go ahead. It had first been pencilled in for September, but has been steadily pushed back by the council.
Opponents to the plan have described it as a "David versus Goliath" battle against what they view as the might of the All England Club, and they claim that objection is growing. A petition against it has reached nearly 10,000 signatures, while 10,000 leaflets have been distributed in the local area.
The anger is at odds with the feel-good factor of Henman Hill, strawberries and cream and the Wimbledon fortnight.
Residents and campaign groups have come together - partly helped by a meeting in the back garden of Wimbledon MP Stephen Hammond's home against the expansion, while Hammond and Putney MP Fleur Anderson have been unified in their objection, despite coming from rival political parties.
Anderson said: "This feels like a David versus Goliath campaign, but the tide is turning. [The club] can't run roughshod over the objections. And the delay [to the planning decision] is giving cause for hope that they're starting to listen and that changes can be made."
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Only £65k a month to live like Boy George
The Karma Chameleon singer listed his house for £17m in 2022, turning down offers. Now, he's looking for a tenant
Welcome to London, unicorn capital of Europe
We're flying far ahead of anywhere outside US for tech investment
Arteta's Arsenal evolution The next phase
Malik Ouzia and Simon Collings assess how the Spaniard will try to bring down Man City after he signs up for another three years with the title in his sights
Title fight catches fire after Gunners embrace dark side
Arsenal-City clashes take on a welcome edge of animosity
Whack the hippy gong-boho's back
It happened in Paris one grey February day. Sienna Miller was in an oversized, black leather jacket, lace-trimmed silk slip and clumpy great wedges.
There's a Starlink waiting in the sky... 7,000 in fact.Can Elon Musk stop them crashing to Earth?
As he was preparing his fields for seeding this year, Barry Sawchuk came across a giant slab of space debris. It had come from a spacecraft belonging to Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX.
'Politicians are only into power-mongering, corruption and cronyism'
We speak to alt revolutionary DEEPAK CHOPRA about biomarkers, his digital twin and his work to save humanity from disease
I've been waiting for a production of Godotthis brilliant all my life
Ben Whishaw and Lucian Msamati bring a potent, tragicomic chemistry to James Macdonald’s rich revival of Samuel Beckett’s challenging play.
Trust me, the Ritz is London's bestrestaurant
To whom we turn in moments of gloom and glory can be instructive, a filter of our truest friends. I've fallen out with the Ritz a couple of times, including once after a visit to the bar which didn’t warrant a review (“But you said it was lovely!” they said.
'Healing is a dirty word'
After four traumatic years, FKA twigs is back with a new album -and a thrilling metamorphosis