Rainham leisure centre build gets ready to kick off
The planned leisure centre for Rainham will now become a reality as construction will kick off at the beginning of January 2022.
Following the closure of the Chafford Sports Complex, the council agreed to construct a new leisure centre to replace the dated building which the Council did not own.
The state of the art centre will be constructed using a modern modular design and will included a range of facilities such as a dance and spinning studio, a 72 station fitness suite and a six lane swimming pool.
It is expected to be completed and handed over to Everyone Active, the company that runs the leisure centres in the borough, in May 2023 and will open to the public shortly after.
The new centre, which will be based on a part of Rainham recreation ground, will lead to some impact to local residents while construction takes place.
To make sure that the construction is done safely, the Viking Way Council pay and display carpark and much of the Rainham Recreation Ground will be temporarily closed.
The Leader of Havering Council, Damian White, said:
“I am really pleased we are reaching this important milestone and I look forward to being able to see work begin in January after promising this would go ahead.
"This followed extensive consultation and engagement with local people and we will see an excellent new leisure centre to meet all local needs.
“I am therefore proud that, unlike many other councils, we have been able to invest in our leisure centres as they are so important to both our physical and mental health.
“I know some residents will be affected by the temporary closure of the Council’s pay and display carpark and much of the recreation ground. However, I hope that they will agree that it will be worth it so that the work can take place safely and make sure we can get the leisure centre up and open as quickly as possible.”