Landmark proposals are now being consulted on for the transformation of Finsbury Leisure Centre, bringing new council homes, sports facilities and a health centre to the borough.

Finsbury Leisure Centre has been around for decades and Islington’s Labour-run Council has exciting plans for the site, which include a state-of-the-art new leisure centre, 100 new council homes and an NHS GP surgery. The proposals, which were published at the start of the month, would see the ageing leisure centre demolished and replaced with new facilities, responding to the real issues that are facing the borough.

The proposals include:

• 200 new homes, including 100 new council homes, that will help transform the lives of local people waiting for council housing – prioritised for nearby families in housing need, and those with disabilities.
• A brand-new leisure centre with all the current facilities re-provided, including a six-court sports hall, four rooftop football pitches, four squash courts, general use studios, and a new, modern facility for the gym currently at Ironmonger Row Baths.
• Space for an NHS GP surgery, delivering a new modern medical facility designed to best serve Islington communities as they grow.
• Safer, greener, cleaner streets and public spaces, including new planting and improved, better-lit streets and cycle paths.

The Tory housing crisis has seen more than 15,000 people on the waiting list for a council home. These new homes are a part of Islington Labour’s wider plans to tackle the housing crisis, and ensure that all residents have a genuinely affordable, safe place to call home.

The new scheme, will also see Finsbury Leisure Centre replaced with a brand new building with improved facilities, better accessibility and a smaller carbon footprint.

The planning application is expected to be submitted in spring 2024, with a further round of public engagement on the proposals to take place just before the application is submitted.

Councillor Diarmaid Ward, Deputy Leader of Islington Council and Executive Member for Finance, Planning and Performance, said “As a Labour administration we can’t sit back and do nothing whilst the Conservatives play politics with people’s lives. That is why I am so proud of these proposals which will create fantastic new council homes, and will help us create a greener, healthier borough.”