[title]
If your desire to exercise is flagging, it could be your willpower that’s at fault – or it could be the crumbling, overcrowded state of your local leisure centre. North Londoners who haven’t dug out their leggings lately have had a very good excuse, because Tottenham Green and Park Road leisure centres have been in a pretty poor state of repair. But it looks like there’ll be less excuse to let your gym membership lapse in months to come, as they’re both getting a serious revamp.
Haringey Council took back control of both sites from external contractors in 2024, and now it’s investing £900k in improving their facilities. Both gyms will have the number of equipment stations available increased by 40 percent. As well as new equipment, the interior will be redecorated, and there’ll be new spaces designed for disabled people and wheelchair users.
Haringey’s cabinet member for culture and leisure, Cllr Emily Arkell, explains that the council ‘inherited a backlog of maintenance issues and repair works when we brought this provision back in-house in October 2024’. A quick look at online reviews for both leisure centres will back that up, with users complaining about broken lockers, poor cleanliness and malfunctioning equipment. So thank goodness help is on the way.
Arkell said: ‘I’m delighted to see that our residents will soon be able to benefit from these gym improvements and upgrades and it's especially pleasing that we're making our equipment more accessible and inclusive.’
The renovations for each gym will last for four weeks, with Tottenham Green leisure centre having closed on February 23 and Park Road Leisure Centre on March 16. During the works, you’ll still be able to use temporary gyms on site, and swimming classes and other facilities won't be affected. Gym members will also be able to visit facilities at Broadwater Farm Community Centre or New River Leisure Centre without paying extra until the works are complete. So there’s no excuse to leave your gym gear in the drawer, after all.
Did you see that south London’s iconic Crystal Palace sports centre is getting a vast revamp with four swimming pools?
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.