Wimbledon is a district in South West London, located in the London Borough of Merton. The neighbourhood is surrounded by open green spaces, which add to the aesthetic qualities of this area, contributing to it being known as one of London’s nicest Villages. East Wimbledon is not solely surrounded by 19th and 20h century homes, it also has modern amenities such as an Odeon Cinema, and also the Centre Court Shopping facilities which are not far from the area. Wimbledon’s roots date back to the Iron Age, where a Roman Hill fort was discovered in Wimbledon Common.

The locality was not directly recorded as an individual location in the 1087 Doomsday book, as it came under the manor of Mortlake. Starting in the 17th century, wealthy residents were attracted to Wimbledon due to its relatively close proximity to Central London. Residents such as Robert Bell, a Director of the British East India Company, and Charles I, began to change the demographic of the neighbourhood. Wimbledon has also had a considerable sporting history with AFC Wimbledon located nearby.

The Wimbledon Championship is an annual Grand Slam Tennis tournament, which was started in 1877. Also, another interesting fact is that Wimbledon is Anglo-Saxon for “Wynnman’s Hill”, which refers to a local land owner called Wynmann.

A moped gang recently targeted a Wimbledon jewellers in what was a £100,000 violent raid. Also, Wimbledon has been identified as an ‘air quality focus area’, which means that air pollution in this district is above EU limits.

Wimbledon is preparing for a tram extension, and as part of this up to 10,000 new homes will be built. The tram would also link Wimbledon to Sutton, providing a much needed alternative transport option for residents. That said, plans for the initiative have suffered a number of delays and uncertainties. While TfL backs the project, its had trouble procuring the funds for it. In more positive news, Wimbledon town centre has been undergoing major regeneration supported by the local council. YMCA St Paul’s Group has received planning consent from Merton Council to deliver a brand-new YMCA hostel in Wimbledon, consisting of 121 en-suite rooms to promote independent living, alongside an adjoining development of 135 new homes, plus an improved café, gym and fitness studio for wider community use. Another development is Wimbledon Grounds, which delivers 600 new apartments surrounding a specially built stadium for AFC Wimbledon, as well as new retail spaces.

Aside for residential and commercial development, the local council and other groups have been actively enhancing the area’s public realm. Merton Council has also created competitions to allow members of the public to design public spaces, such as temporary seating. Love Wimbledon, a non-profit limited company established by local businesses, has secured funding of £120,000 from Merton Council to create ‘Hartfield Walk’, which intends to transform underused space in the area between Blacks and Robert Dyas on The Broadway. A new paved front entrance to New Wimbledon Theatre was also completed by the council, coinciding with the theatre’s reopening.