Finsbury Leisure Centre plans: Work to start in summer 2025

Islington Council has published updated proposals for the Finsbury Leisure Centre site near Old Street station, and is expected to submit a planning application this summer.

If approved, this would allow work on the project to begin next summer, with building expected to take between two and three years.

Under the plans, the 49-year-old centre would be torn down and replaced by new leisure facilities, including a six-court sports hall, rooftop five-a-side football pitches, squash courts and a gym.

The existing leisure centre will be demolished and rebuilt (Image: Islington Council)

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Around 100 council homes would be built, alongside a further 98 for private sale to help pay for them.

The smallest block, housing the leisure centre, would be six storeys high, while the largest block of flats could contain up to 20 floors.

The authority previously said that nearby families in need, and those with disabilities would get priority when new homes were allocated.

One block will be 20 storeys tall (Image: Islington Council)

The site would provide a bigger space for NHS City Road Medical Centre, and would include more CCTV, street lighting and cycle paths.

Under the initial proposals presented by the council in January, a café was planned next to one of the blocks of flats in Paton Street.

But this has now been scrapped after feedback during the council’s engagement period.

According to the authority, people said there was no need for another café in the area, pointing to the fact that one at St Luke’s Community Centre recently closed.

The space will now be used to create a larger three-bedroom family council home.

A new courtyard, originally conceived to serve residents of the development, will now also be open to everyone during the daytime.

A medical centre and publicly accessible courtyard will also be created (Image: Islington Council)

Group changing rooms for schools and other groups have also been added to the design of the new leisure centre.

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Councillor Una O’Halloran, Islington’s executive member for homes and neighbourhoods, said: “With more than 15,000 people waiting for a council home in Islington and a leisure centre that’s well past its best, we’re taking action to create a more equal Islington.” 

She added: “The feedback shared earlier this year, and going all the way back to 2017, has been really important to the design process.”

The updated designs will be shared in detail at upcoming events organised by the council. These are:

• Tuesday July 16, 3-7pm, Vibast Community Centre, EC1V 9NH
• Thursday July 18, 1.30-5.30pm, Finsbury Leisure Centre, EC1V 3PU