Edmonton Leisure Centre has been closed for three months due to maintenance issues, with no reopening date yet being set, reports James Cracknell

Enfield Council has issued a warning about the future of Edmonton Leisure Centre as it admitted the costs of reopening the facility were “significant”.

The facility in Edmonton Green has been closed ever since a new external provider – Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL), operating under its ‘Better’ brand – was brought in to run them last December. This is because GLL discovered issues with Edmonton Leisure Centre’s ventilation, pool plant and fire safety after taking over from previous operators Fusion.

In an update issued today (Thursday 7th), a council spokesperson said: “Our priority is to ensure all our leisure centres provide a comfortable and safe environment for our residents to exercise and spend their leisure time.

“In the lead up to the transfer from Fusion Lifestyle to Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL), GLL’s maintenance team undertook various assessments to understand the nature of the problems affecting each of the centres and to put in place plans to address the issues. These surveys have now concluded.

“The surveys indicate that significant costs will be incurred to ensure Edmonton Leisure Centre can be returned to a fit state and reopened safely. We are now looking at all possible options for its reopening and to offer local activities to the people of Edmonton.

“We remain committed to minimising the impact of this situation on users. Users continue to have access to every [other] Enfield leisure centre while we assess these options. Enfield Council’s priority is to ensure the safety of residents using leisure centres.”

One Edmonton resident, Aynsley Taylor, hit out at the ongoing closure and told the Dispatch: “We know that local authorities are under a lot of financial strain right now, but it really is a tragedy that we can’t keep a relatively new leisure centre open in a part of the borough that desperately needs facilities to keep people healthy and happy. Isn’t that what councils should be for.”

Enfield Council’s finances are currently said to be in the “most challenging” position they’ve ever been in, with finance chiefs desperate to avoid any unexpected spending beyond what it has budgeted for.

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