New leisure centre approved for Lewisham

A new 2-pool leisure and fitness centre, to replace Forest Hill Pools on Dartmouth Road, was approved by Lewisham Council Planning Committee on 22 July 2010.

The facility is Lewisham’s fourth new leisure centre development to be approved in recent years. A new leisure complex was opened in Downham in 2007, and an additional 25-metre pool was opened at Wavelengths Leisure Centre in Deptford in 2008. A third leisure centre is currently being built in Lewisham Town Centre to replace the leisure facility at Ladywell.

A building contractor for the development is expected to be appointed before the end of the year and the Council aims to have the new leisure centre in public use by late-2012.

This new planning application for Forest Hill allows for the alteration, part demolition and refurbishment of the existing Forest Hill Pools building to provide a new pool and leisure centre behind the existing Victorian frontage which will be retained.

The existing frontage will be refurbished to form the main entrance and reception to the building as well as providing a changing area on the first floor. The majority of the facilities will be provided in the proposed modern additions.

Facilities in the new building will include a 25-metre pool, a 16.7-metre learner pool, fitness gym, 2 studios, community room and a café. The new development will include facilities and access for those people with disabilities. There will be disabled parking, bicycle and motorcycle parking and a drop-off area for vehicles.

A new “pocket park” is also to be landscaped around the new building and extended along Dartmouth Road to provide a public open space.

Councillor Chris Best, Cabinet Member for Community Services, said: “Lewisham is finally getting the first-class replacement leisure centre it deserves at Forest Hill.

“It has been a real challenge trying to find a design that can accommodate the many different needs of the local community. An absolute priority has been to make sure the new facility is fully accessible to everyone who chooses to use it but we have also had to work within tight budget constraints as well as the restrictions placed on us by the size and shape of the site.

“However, after a long and comprehensive period of consultation, combined with some serious thinking about the design and the cost, I think we have now achieved an excellent result. I want to say a huge thank you to the Forest Hill Pools Stakeholder Group and everyone else who has spent so much time and energy on this. We can now look forward to a first-class facility that can be enjoyed by everyone for years to come.”

Users of the pool are also celebrating after hearing the planning decision.

Thirteen-year-old Catford resident and Sydenham School pupil, Sian Rowe, has become a well-known face in the local area after new hoardings erected around Forest Hill Pools feature a metre-high image of her in action as part of the local Saxon Crown swimming team. Sian has been helping to promote the redevelopment of the Pools, having broken the record for 50m and 100m breaststroke at the Kent County Championships earlier this year.

On hearing the news, Sian said: “I’m really happy that the new pool is going to be opening soon because it means lots of other kids will get the chance to swim. I learnt to swim at Forest Hill Pools and then joined Saxon Crown once I had got to the highest swimming lesson.

“Ever since I learned to swim at Forest Hill I have loved swimming and I will never give it up. I know that having a pool in Forest Hill will help other people like me to enjoy the sport too.

“At the moment I’m training for the Welsh Nationals, which take place over the first week in August. I almost made my British Gas national time, but missed it by half a second this season. The pools I currently train at with Saxon Crown are at Ladywell, Downham, Wavelengths and The Bridge – and I train for the Beacon programme at Crystal Palace.

“Having a pool in Forest Hill will mean I won’t have to travel so far from home for my training. It’ll mean I get home earlier in the evening so I have more time to do other things and have fun.”