Five reasons why we want to transform the Finsbury Leisure Centre site

We’ve been working with the local community to explore ways of improving the site for several years and we invited people to share their feedback on early proposals in July 2022.

Now, we’ve announced plans for new council homes, a fantastic new leisure centre and NHS GP surgery to replace the ageing facilities.

We’re planning to make the biggest investment in the area’s public services in a generation to help us build a more equal future for Islington. We’re doing this because:

1. We’re facing a housing crisis. With more than 15,000 people waiting for a council home, doing nothing is not an option.

Our plans will deliver around 100 new, genuinely affordable council homes with another 100 for sale to help pay for them. Council homes transform lives, and we need to make the best use of our land to help tackle the housing crisis. For local families who are waiting for a home right now, this project will be life changing.

All the homes will be high-quality and low-carbon, with a focus on family-sized homes and homes that are accessible for wheelchair users, which are badly needed.

2. Local people deserve better leisure facilities. Built in 1975, and last refurbished in 2004, the current building is tired and needs significant investment to bring it up to modern standards.

By building a brand-new leisure centre, we’ll be creating a flagship place for sports and leisure in Islington. All the current facilities will be re-provided – including a six-court sports hall, four rooftop football pitches, squash courts, general use studios and a gym – in a first-class building with new equipment.

3. Accessibility matters – and so does our carbon footprint. By rebuilding, we also have an important opportunity to make the centre more accessible. Sport and exercise are for everyone, and the new facilities could include things like wheelchair storage and sensory or dementia-friendly design. We’ll be talking to local disability groups to make sure we build a space that’s truly open to all.

Similarly, a new building means we can transform the centre’s energy efficiency with a smart, eco-conscious design. This will reduce our carbon footprint and take Islington one step closer to being carbon neutral by 2030.

4. Islington needs GP facilities fit for the future. GP surgeries are overstretched across London and there are few sites available for new ones. The modern NHS GP surgery in our plans will have flexible spaces so more facilities can be added as demand grows – serving the community now and in the future.

5. People told us they wanted safer, greener streets. People told us the streets around the leisure centre didn’t always feel safe and asked us to improve greenery and planting in the area. So, our plans include new planting and improved, better-lit streets and cycle paths. 

What do you think?

We’ve listened carefully to what people told us they wanted, including for leisure facilities to stay on-site, greener outdoor spaces and genuinely affordable homes for local people. Now we’re keen to hear feedback on our more detailed plans, to make sure we make the most of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the area.

You can have your say online or at one of our events by Sunday 28 January, I hope you’ll take part.