21 Oct 2016
Three sports and wellbeing hubs planned for South London
BY Tom Walker
Kingston Council in South London has given the go ahead for a trio of “next generation” integrated community hubs.
The three centres will offer a number of services – ranging from sports and fitness to community services and healthcare – and are part of the council’s Indoor Sport and Leisure Facilities Strategy which was given the green light on 13 October.
Two of the new facilities will replace existing properties – the Malden Centre in New Malden and the Kingfisher Leisure Centre in Kingston – while an entirely new hub will be built in the south of the borough.
Exact designs and plans are yet to be decided, but all three hubs will include swimming pools.
Councillor Andrea Craig, cabinet member for sport and leisure at Kingston Council, said: “The Indoor Sports Strategy has highlighted what we all know, our existing facilities are much loved, with huge demand, but are in need of further investment and more centres need to be built to meet the growing demand in the borough.
“There is a huge appetite for sport in our borough. Together with the Mayor of London, we launched a pop up swimming pool in Chessington during the summer - the uptake was incredible.
“The recommendation from the report is for a new swimming pool and leisure centre in the South of the Borough. The council, with residents, now needs to investigate further potential options on where that could be.
“The new strategy demonstrates the need for more facilities across the borough, as well as allowing closer links with schools, which is brilliant. Residents play an integral role in shaping our community spaces and we will make sure that local people are kept up to date as these exciting plans progress.”
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