Closure-threatened London indoor track could be saved as council consults on plans

An at-risk indoor track designated for redevelopment could yet be saved as a north London council consults on the plans before making a final decision.Brent Council planned to redevelop the Willesden Sports Centre as part of a £1.4m upgrade, replacing the indoor athletics track with a gym, until Track Academy, a charity based at the centre, called for the plans to be halted.Patrik Ewe, CEO of Track Academy, argued that the loss of the indoor track, one of the only remaining indoor facilities in London, would detrimentally impact its users, especially those who have disabilities, are ethnic minorities and are girls.After launching their campaign to save the centre, a host of supporting testimonies flooded in, contesting the council’s decision, ranging from England Athletics to former Olympians who trained on the track in their youth.The charity, formed in 2007 by former international triple jumper Connie Sessions, normally runs three sessions a week on the track for people aged five to 23.A group of children that attend Track Academy at the indoor track in Willesden Sports CentreFacundo ArrizabalagaBrent Council informed the charity in June that the indoor track would be redeveloped into a gym. However, it has now said that further consultation will be carried out before a final decision is made on November 25. This comes after a joint letter was sent to the council by the leaders of the Brent Liberal Democrats, Cllr Anton Georgiou, and the Brent Green Party, Cllr Mary Mitchell.The Chief Executive at Brent Council, Kim Wright, said in the letter: “While there was some communication with stakeholders suggesting that a decision had been made on these proposals, following correspondence with some stakeholders we have decided that the right thing to do is listen further before a decision is taken.“The decision on the final configuration, including whether the indoor running tube space is retained for athletics or reconfigured as proposed, is delegated to the Corporate Director of Service Reform and Strategy. She plans to make that decision by 25 November 2026.”In light of this extension, Cllr Anton Georgiou told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’m pleased that Brent Council has decided to backtrack on its decision to demolish the much-loved indoor track at Willesden Sports Centre.Read More“This climbdown is a direct result of a community-led campaign, which brought together track users, Track Academy, Queen’s Park Harriers, residents and the Liberal Democrat and Green council groups. I sincerely hope the council now reflects on the strength of public feeling and commits to properly engaging with track users before making a final decision.“Liberal Democrat Councillors will continue to do everything we can to support the campaign and fight for the future of this valued community asset.”Patrik Ewe, CEO of Track Academy pictured at the outdoor athletics track in Willesden Sports CentreFacundo Arrizabalaga While the CEO of Track Academy welcomed the news of an extension, he remained concerned for the track’s future. He said: “It’s great that the council is now formally consulting on this; they should have done so from the beginning.“It’s a shame that it’s taken such immense public and community pressure for them to consult the community.“We’ve only got one week. It’s a short period of time. The person making the decision on the 25th of November is the same person that approved the proposal put forward to Cabinet.“We just hope that the decision-maker factors in the council’s own equality impact assessment, which obviously highlights how the current proposal disproportionately affects girls, young people with special education needs, and ethnically diverse communities. The alternatives are not like-for-like.”Cllr Liz Dixon, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health, said: “These proposals are about modernising Willesden Sports Centre, with a £1.4 million investment to help even more residents use the gym and take part in health and fitness classes.“Under the proposals, the indoor running tube would become part of a larger gym, which would mean the end of indoor athletics there. The outdoor track would not be affected. While no decision has been made, I understand the strength of feeling, and that’s why we are giving people more time to have their say before any decision is made.“Representations can be sent to [email protected] by 5pm on Friday 20 November, and anything already sent to us will be taken into account. No works affecting the indoor running tube will take place before a decision is made.”