Charity seeks to save Woolwich leisure centre from demolition

A Muslim charity is seeking to halt the demolition of the former Waterfront Leisure Centre in Woolwich, with plans to repurpose the building as a youth development centre. The Ramolik Youth Coalition has applied for the site to be designated an asset of community value, a move that would give them the opportunity to bid for the property if it is sold.

Charity's proposal for the centre

Read Next in News London3 min read

Greenwich Council partially upholds complaint over neighbour's behaviour

A resident of Abbey Wood has faced years of issues including urine being thrown from a window.

The Waterfront Leisure Centre, which opened in 1988, closed on New Year's Eve and was replaced by the Woolwich Waves centre. The Ramolik Youth Coalition, an arm of the Jam’yyat Lutfil-Lahi charity, wants to retrofit the existing structure to create a youth development centre. This facility aims to address what the charity describes as an “acute shortage of dedicated, safe social infrastructure for young people in the borough”. The proposal also includes plans for residential accommodation and a public walkway offering views towards the Grade II-listed Rotunda on Woolwich Common. The charity stated that the retrofit to address ventilation issues would utilise timber.

The charity has accused Greenwich Council of administrative abuse of power, alleging the council is “rushing in the bulldozers” before evaluating their project. Trustees for Jam’yyat Lutfil-Lahi said in a statement: “For the council to rush heavy machinery onto this site to flatten it before evaluating our viable, sustainable project is an administrative abuse of power.” They added that if the council ignores their request for an immediate freeze on demolition, they are prepared to seek an urgent interim injunction from the High Court.

Council's position on demolition and nomination

Related Borough Coverage3 min read

DLR extension to Thamesmead moves closer after consultation

Transport for London plans to submit a Transport and Works Act Order application in 2027 for the proposed route.

Greenwich Council confirmed it is considering the charity's nomination of the former Waterfront Leisure Centre as an asset of community value. A council spokesperson stated that the nomination will be considered in accordance with the statutory process and that no decision has yet been made. The council's cabinet had previously approved plans to demolish the building and sell the site for housing development, with a draft Local Plan suggesting up to 310 flats could be built on the land. A formal demolition notice was issued in June but was later withdrawn, with the council indicating it would be resubmitted once a contractor is appointed. The council clarified that the withdrawal of the notice was not a result of the asset of community value nomination.

The Ramolik Youth Coalition indicated it had only recently become aware of the demolition plans and had not yet initiated discussions with the council regarding its proposal. The charity suggested that the £3.5 million the council might spend on demolition could instead be used to preserve and repurpose the building for local youth, stating it has no structural defects.