The costs of securing a dilapidated leisure centre in Plaistow could reach £180,000 a year, Newham Council has admitted.
Balaam Leisure Centre has been closed for almost eight years after concrete fell from a ceiling. The council has since evicted squatters from the closed building, and has spent more than £260,000 on security since 2021.
Senior Labour councillor Zulfiqar Ali, responsible for finance, said the town hall is trying to find “a sustainable, long-term solution for the site”.
Concrete fell from pool
Leading councillors agreed to close Balaam Leisure Centre permanently in July 2023.
It had already been shuttered since December 2018, after a “flake” of concrete fell from the underside of its training pool into the basement gym.
Earmarked for housing
Council leaders agreed to earmark the site for housing in 2023, but Cllr Ali says work towards this “could not be fully completed at the time due to the council’s wider financial position”.
Newham Independents councillor Obaid Khan, who represents Plaistow South, demanded an “unequivocal update” at a meeting on Monday (13 July). He asked how much the council had spent on the building since its closure.
Squatters removed
Cllr Khan added: “I have also received highly concerning reports that the site was occupied by squatters for a prolonged period and operated as a commercial club, generating income through the unauthorised use of a public asset”.
In a written answer, Cllr Ali said bailiffs had “recently removed” the squatters.
He said the council is still confirming further costs linked to “site security, legal action, eviction proceedings, bailiff attendance, repairs following occupation, and subsequent securing of the building”.
Costs still mounting
Cllr Ali said the price of closing the leisure centre in 2018 had reached £100,000, which included the cost of emptying the pools, putting up hoardings and moving equipment to other gyms.
He said that the council had also incurred over £260,000 in security costs since 2021.
Cllr Ali added: “Post-eviction, annual security costs are projected to be between £160-180k per year unless a more suitable interim position is found.”
