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The proposed new Finsbury Leisure Centre and Ironmonger Row Baths
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City footballers sports centre gets £4m regeneration money
Cash for deprived area to go on soccer facilities ‘locals don’t use’
MILLIONS of pounds earmarked for some of Finsbury’s most deprived residents will be spent improving a sports centre mainly used by City bankers.
EC1 New Deal for Communities, which won £53 million of government money to regenerate Finsbury, has pledged £4 million towards the proposed redevelopment of Finsbury Leisure Centre, despite a council study showing 70 per cent of residents don’t use it.
But EC1 chief executive Andy Murphy says the money is aimed at making the sports centre more attractive for local residents.
Leo Chapman, a former EC1 New Deal (EC1ND) board member, believes the City worker footballers who make up the majority of the 77 teams using the centre, should have been asked to contribute.
He said: “As the City possibly is the biggest user it is puzzling that this potential source of funding is not mentioned in the Continuum Sports & Leisure Ltd feasibility study done for EC1ND.”
Teams from the Royal Bank of Scotland, Cazenoves, the Queen’s stockbroker, Swiss bank UBS, merchant banks Warburgs and Barings, broker Collins Stewart and Toronto Dominion Bank use the three football pitches intensively.
Mr Chapman said: “Missing from the four options are estimates for the likely costs of each option. But as 70 per cent of local people don’t use the leisure centre perhaps EC1ND could spend much of its earmarked £3.8 million on education, health, safety and training which would benefit more people.”
The 4,000-home area of Finsbury and Clerkenwell, which EC1ND provides government funds for, is the eighth most deprived part of England.
Mr Murphy accepted the leisure centre did rely on income from the City football teams, but added: “We are contributing money both to the leisure centre and the swimming baths both of which are used to different degrees by local people.
“There’s an acknowledgement that local people are frozen out by the way the leisure centre is used and that’s one of the issues we want our money to recognise.”
Residents to have say on revamp
A MULTI-million pound scheme to transform the dated Finsbury Leisure Centre and spruce up the old Ironmonger Row Baths has been put out to consultation this week.
Islington Council says the buildings are falling apart, the boilers for the Baths are on their last legs and a massive overhaul is needed.
The council has teamed up with regeneration body EC1 New Deal for Communities to consult on plans which could result in the demolition of Finsbury Leisure Centre.
Depending on which option is chosen, the scheme is estimated to cost between £16 million and £23 million.
Leaflets sent out to residents will offer four choices on how to remodel the one-hectare site, including options to demolish and rebuild the leisure centre, refurbish the Baths and include options for private and social housing on Central Street or along Helmet Row and Mitchell Street.
The consultation ends on December 10 and members of the public are invited to take tours of the Baths and sports centre to see what is being proposed. |
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