Latest progress
The demolition of Gurnell Leisure Centre began in March 2025 and is expected to end in May 2025. Over 99% of the materials from the old centre will be recycled and reused.
The council is working with contractor Willmott Dixon as part of the tender process to build the new leisure centre. Construction work is expected to start later in 2025 with the new facility opening towards the end of 2027.
The council is also in the process of tendering for a developer partner to bring forward the residential site at Gurnell.
What we are building
The new leisure complex will provide health and fitness facilities. Plans for the site include a 50-metre swimming pool, making it one of only 3 open 50m indoor pools in London, along with a climbing wall and state-of-the-art gym.
The centre will offer:
- an enhanced wet area, including:
- a waterpark
- slides
- lazy river
- exercise studios
- soft play area
- cafe
Around the centre, plans include:
- a new skate park
- cycle pump track
- outdoor gym
- children’s playground
To keep the area green and boost local biodiversity, 450 trees are expected to be planted around the site.
Outline planning permission has also been given for around 300 homes by the committee, with around a third of them classed as affordable.
Planning history
Built in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gurnell Leisure Centre has served the local community as a fitness and wellbeing hub for many decades. The building’s declining state led to its permanent closure in August 2020.
After considering all options, it was decided that the best choice was to demolish the old centre and build a new one.
In January 2025 Ealing Council’s planning committee approved plans to redevelop the Gurnell Leisure Centre site. The proposals included ideas from residents and the Gurnell Community Sounding Board collected over a 2-year period starting in 2022 about what they want in the new leisure centre and surrounding green spaces.
In March 2025 planning permission for the development was obtained following approval by the Greater London Authority.