WIMBLEDON is going to court to try to head off a potential threat to its expansion plans, it was reported today.

The All England Club (AELTC) was granted planning permission by the Greater London Authority in September to build 39 new courts, including an 8,000-seat show court, on the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club across the road from its current site.

The plans will nearly triple the size of the venue but have proved controversial, with vociferous opposition from some local residents.