Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre set to close

Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre is set to close following a decision by Brent Council’s Cabinet yesterday (Monday 16 June).

The leisure centre, located in Stonebridge, will permanently close its doors on Thursday 31 July to allow plans to provide a new leisure centre to be built. The new centre will include adult education space and modern community facilities that better meet the needs of the local community.

The redevelopment of Bridge Park is part of a wider masterplan to radically transform the local area, which could unlock £600 million of investment along the Hillside corridor in Stonebridge over the coming years.

The current leisure centre is based in a converted bus garage and its condition has deteriorated and requires very substantial capital investment to keep the site open and safe on a sustainable basis. Major and expensive works to the lifts, roof and other key parts of the building are needed. The report before Cabinet explained that this expense would not be a sensible use of limited council funding, particularly when there are proposals to build a new and larger, state-of-the-art centre for the community to use for years to come.

The proposals for the new development include:

• New flexible community spaces,
• An improved adult education centre,
• Fully accessible public gardens,
• Hundreds of new and affordable homes to meet the growing demand for housing
• A significantly larger leisure centre, including a larger swimming pool, larger gym, sports hall, fitness studios and a cafe.

The proposals aim to create a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable neighbourhood that will meet the needs of future generations. Additionally, the development will create a neighbourhood that helps tackle climate change with greener buildings, more trees, and areas that support wildlife.

Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of Brent Council, said: “Brent Council’s Cabinet agreed to close the current Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre. We will be investing millions of pounds to create a new leisure centre and wider regeneration of the area to better meet the needs Stonebridge and its local community.

“The investment in Bridge Park will also provide much needed new homes, new jobs, a new skills hub and new community and green spaces. It will be a place that everyone can feel proud to call their own. I want to thank everyone that has been involved throughout this process, from residents, members of the leisure centre and staff, we look forward to the next exciting chapter for Bridge Park.”

With alternative leisure facilities available at Vale Farm Sports Centre and Willesden Sports Centre, which are both within a short distance of Bridge Park, the council has informed users and valued staff, to support with transition arrangements.

The nearby Unisys buildings, which stands empty over the North Circular, has been derelict for more than 20 years. Brent Council is working with the owners of the Unisys buildings, Stonebridge Real Estate Development Limited (SRED), to redevelop Bridge Park and the neighbouring land.

For more information visit www.brent.gov.uk/bridgepark