- £2.6m budget to carry out pre-planning and development feasibility into providing high quality leisure facilities
- Work underway to identify preferred location
- Plans for former Balaam Leisure Centre to be redeveloped for housing
At the Cabinet meeting on Thursday 20 July, approval was given to bring feasibility into a new state of the art leisure centre in Canning Town. Members gave the go ahead for a new leisure centre at either Oak Crescent Open Space or 3-5 Beckton Road following further feasibility work. The project will involve full public consultation once a site has been chosen so that residents, community groups and other interested groups can review the plans and share their views on the development.
At the same time, a decision was taken to make the site, which was once home to Balaam Leisure Centre, available for new housing. This follows an inspection that determined the building was no longer safe after a serious water leak. The site’s potential for residential development is accepted within the Local Plan. Initial design work has established, subject to discussions with the planning team, a capacity of around 50 homes, as well as the potential for ground floor community space.
Councillor Neil Wilson, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care said: “Residents in both Canning Town and Plaistow will benefit massively from having a new leisure centre on their doorstep.
“The site would offer users new high quality, fit for purpose leisure facilities, with the plans aiming to improve and create existing and new open spaces in Canning Town.
“This decision puts local people at the heart of the plans, ensuring they have access to facilities which will improve their health and wellbeing.”
The decisions taken by Council demonstrate further progress against key priorities including the ‘Building a Fairer Newham’ for high quality, genuinely affordable housing and the ‘Active Future For Newham’ vision agreed in July 2020. The approval for investment in a new leisure centre and improved open spaces will support residents to live happy, healthy and well.