Plans for new leisure centre, school and homes by Shoreditch Park approved
The Council’s proposals to build a new leisure centre, secondary school and homes by Shoreditch Park have been approved.
The GLA gave the green light to the application on Monday (26). Hackney’s Local Planning Authority had approved the scheme on November 7.
The Council’s proposals have been two-and-a-half years in the planning and subject to widespread consultations and more than 50 hours of engagement events, with regular update leaflets posted to thousands of homes.
The new leisure centre includes:
- A six-lane, 25m main pool with moveable floor
- A 20m x 10m training pool with moveable floor
- Leisure water – for children and families – with water features and a flume
- A café and toilets (also serving Shoreditch Park users)
- A six-court sports hall
- Crèche and soft play area
- Sauna and steam room
- Fitness suite and flexible studio spaces
- Four squash courts
- Two five-a-side pitches
- Two tennis courts
It’s fantastic that this ambitious scheme has been approved and we can now get on with building these much-needed new facilities for Hackney’s current and future generations.
“Hackney needs improved leisure provision and hundreds of more school places. I’m very proud that, despite ongoing government cuts to our funding, our Council is finding innovative ways to keep investing in our communities.
“It’s taken us years of planning, consultations and public meetings to get to this stage, and we’ve listened to residents and taken onboard their feedback throughout. We’ve tried to include as many elements of what people have told us they want as possible.
“The current leisure centre simply doesn’t deliver the standard of provision or access that Hackney’s diverse communities expect, need and deserve now and in the future. The new centre will be better in almost every way and preserves many of the family friendly elements we know that people value.
The scheme also includes:
- A new, much-needed secondary school and sixth form with 1,140 places to meet demand for school places in Hackney
A public square with seating and which can be used for community events, and a new entrance to the park.
Improved walking and cycle routes linked into the wider network, and more than 1,000 new cycle parking spaces.
Tree planting, leading to 33 more trees than there are now, wildlife-friendly planting to provide a greater variety of habitats and food sources, particularly supporting bees, bats and birds.
The new buildings will be placed on the site of the existing Britannia Leisure Centre – which will not close until the new one is open – the existing asphalt sports courts, and the site of the Hoxton Press sales and marketing suite.
It's hoped that construction will start on the leisure centre and school in early 2019 and complete in 2021. More information on the proposals, including artists impressions, is available here.
The project is part of the Council’s work to build nearly 2,000 homes, three schools and a leisure centre on more than 20 sites across the borough by 2022. Find out more about how Hackney is Building.