Leisure centre in iconic Grade-II listed London estate awarded £10.35m for refurbishment

The City of London Corporation’s only leisure centre in the Square Mile has been awarded more than £10 million for upgrades and repairs. The Golden Lane Leisure Centre, part of the Grade II-listed Golden Lane estate by the Barbican, was reported to have a number of 'underlying external issues' requiring attention.

The planned works include replacing the roof, resurfacing the tennis courts and redecorating the building's interior. The Chair of the Golden Lane Estate Residents' Association, Sue Pearson, welcomed the approved funds, which she said would 'support the City residents' health and wellbeing'.

The Golden Lane Leisure Centre (GLLC) is an important asset in the City. It includes facilities such as a swimming pool, tennis courts and a sports hall. At a Resource Allocation Sub Committee meeting last week, Corporation Members were recommended to approve the £10.35m refurbishment to be funded via the City's Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) pot. This consists of charges on developers to improve and maintain local infrastructure.

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According to a paper presented to the committee: "The proposed programme of work, informed by the completion of a range of surveys, includes a series of upgrades and repairs to GLLC which would ensure the service can be sustained. The works identified consist of replacing the roof, repairing walkways and the external podium, replacing mechanical and electrical equipment, resurfacing tennis courts and redecoration of the interior of the building.

"The works will replace the existing boilers and replace them with alternatives to deliver a more sustainable and energy efficient operation. This will have a positive contribution to delivering Climate Action Strategy aims."

Deputy Chris Hayward, who is the Chair of Policy and Resources and Chair of last week's meeting, opened the item by referencing a 'political commitment' he made during a recent Court of Common Council to fund the leisure centre's refurbishment.

Deputy Hayward had told Members the Corporation was able to commit to the 'very, very, very important project', which he added 'in my view has been outstanding for too long'. In the paper prepared for last week's committee, officers raised concern as to the impact of the cost of the works, plus another recommendation to approve the deinstallation of the Sculpture in the City exhibition, on future CIL funding.

It detailed how the available amount to be allocated to the end of 2025/26 would fall to just £280,000 as a result. "This reduction in future funding would have implications for other projects, meaning that they would either need to find funding from elsewhere or be delayed," they wrote. "An initial assessment of the major projects this could affect is set out below. These are not likely to be a comprehensive survey of potential projects but is intended to give a picture of the likely implications for known infrastructure projects that are currently planned or under development."

This point was also touched on by Hayward in the meeting, though as recommended the funding was agreed. Ms Pearson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "It is excellent news that funding has been approved for a series of upgrades and repairs of the Golden Lane Leisure Centre to support the City residents' health and wellbeing.

"I hope that the funding will prove adequate for a full renovation including all the life-expired mechanical systems, waterproofing and ventilation and air conditioning improvement to ensure a sustainable future for the centre.

"It would be nice to think that the work could be carried out and completed, as reported, by 2027 but residents, who have been waiting for years for their, still to be started, windows replacement, and for the much needed homes in Black Raven Court to be occupied will be sceptical that the Corporation can deliver anything in their promised time scale."

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