Woolwich: New Leisure Centre For Woolwich Town Centre

by Benson Agoha

The Royal Borough of Greenwich has unveiled a new vision for the Town Centre and plans to relocate the Waterfront Leisure Centre from its current `edge of the town' location to the Town Centre.

The current location housing the Wilkinson Stores will be demolished to make way for the new development.

Statement released on the Royal Borough website said, Cabinet considered the plans to build brand-new facilities and have a new leisure centre built right in the centre of Woolwich, at the site currently occupied by Wilkinsons, making it much easier for residents to get to.

Council said the decision to relocate the leisure to the Heart of Woolwich is in line with its vision for the town centre to promote economic growth and regeneration, adding "A new leisure centre in the town centre is a key element of delivering the Woolwich masterplan."

And the new build will be the same and even better than the present one. It will be "Brilliant and modern" say Councillor Peter Kotz, Cabinet Member for Culture and Creative Industries.

"It would have the same facilities as the current Waterfront Centre with a number of improvements, offering an even better and more family friendly leisure centre. New cafes and play areas would be included alongside pools, a multi-use sports hall and squash courts."

According to the statement "This is about building a brilliant and modern leisure centre for Woolwich, which will have all the same facilities and family focus as the current Waterfront Centre. Like the Waterfront, it will offer a brilliant all-round sport and leisure facility but in a newer up-to-date building, Cllr Kotz said, adding "the Waterfont Centre is enjoyed by nearly a million customers a year, but its current location on the fringe of the town centre and across a very busy road is far from ideal. Bringing those people into the heart of Woolwich instead and into a brilliant brand-new building that makes sense for the customers and for the town as a whole."

Council statement said since Woolwich is undergoing a rapid transformation at the moment, with a new Crossrail link due to open in 2018, these plans would make a significant contribution to the rejuvenation of the town as it offers the chance to increase footfall and spend in Woolwich, increasing the number of people using the leisure centre and drawing them into the heart of the town centre - with amenities and attractions all in one place.

"The new leisure centre would provide a high-quality architect designed building right at the gateway of the town, opposite the main public transport routes of Woolwich Arsenal Station and the main bus hub," it statement said.

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