Wanstead Leisure Centre has a gym, classes and no pool
Wanstead Leisure Centre has a 45-station gym and classes, but no pool. The promised replacement, with a 25m swimming pool, has been delayed for years. Here is where things stand.
If you've searched for "Wanstead Leisure Centre swimming pool", the honest answer is that there isn't one yet. The centre, on Redbridge Lane West, has a gym, classes and a sports hall. A new 25-metre pool has been promised since construction began in 2022 and, going by the council's latest statement, still has no opening date.
Below: the practical details, then the sourced story of the delayed project. Everything comes from Vision RCL, which runs the centre, and Redbridge Council. Hours and prices change, so check before you go.
At a glance
- Address: Redbridge Lane West, Wanstead, London E11 2JZ
- Phone: 020 8989 1172
- Email: wanstead@vision-rcl.org.uk
- Operator: Vision Redbridge Culture and Leisure (Vision RCL)
- Opening times: Monday to Friday 6am to 10.30pm; Saturday and Sunday 9am to 6pm
Vision RCL's centre page and Redbridge Council's directory entry both give these hours, and describe a dual-use facility run in partnership with Wanstead High School.
What's on offer
According to Vision RCL:
- A 45-station gym, refreshed with new Matrix equipment and brighter lighting.
- Group classes, including Zumba, Clubbercise, Yoga, Pilates, Step, HIIT and bootcamp.
- A sports hall for badminton, five-a-side, basketball and more, which can also be hired.
- Racquet sports: badminton court hire from £12.20, squash from £11.
- A supervised Junior Gym for 11 to 15-year-olds.
Book online, through the Vision RCL app or at reception. Under the booking policy, cancel classes at least three hours ahead or face a £5 no-show charge. Memberships and timetables are on the Vision site.
The pool that isn't there yet
The pool is part of a wider scheme at Wanstead High School, and the timeline has not been kind:
- 2022: construction began, according to Redbridge Council.
- November 2024: the council said the project was "scheduled for completion at the end of 2025", with a 25-metre pool, dance studios, a new reception and accessible changing rooms, plus new classrooms and a canteen for the school. Its news release named the construction partner as Jerram Falkus.
- February 2026: the project slipped again. The council said it was now "scheduled for completion in summer 2026", blaming "challenging ground conditions found on site", as Building magazine reported, putting the scheme's cost at £20m.
- 29 August 2026: Cllr Kam Rai, Leader of Redbridge Council, issued an update. Jerram Falkus had entered insolvency; its performance "fell short of the standards expected"; the council was responsible for overseeing delivery; a site review had concluded. A new contractor and timetable would be confirmed "as soon as a decision … has been made".
The leader set a priority order: first complete the school education block, to avoid another school year being affected, and only then the leisure centre, "so that it too can move forward and get back on track". The council remained "committed to delivering the wider vision for the site, including the new leisure facilities", and promised a regular forum for parents, residents and other stakeholders.
- 22 October 2026: a further update said the "newly appointed contractor took possession of the site on 21 October 2026", starting a "site delivery phase" of site clearance, hoarding changes and health and safety reviews ahead of the main build, with a stakeholder working group to follow. That release concerns the education block: it doesn't mention the pool, name the contractor or give a completion date.
Our own detailed report on the delays, the money and the unanswered questions goes through the council's papers in more depth.
So there's no published date for the pool, and we'll update this guide if the council gives one. If you need a swim now, Vision RCL's other centres are Fullwell Cross, Loxford, Mayfield and South Woodford Library and Gym, per its booking page; its leisure pages show which have pools.
For exercise that costs nothing, Wanstead Flats has a free weekly parkrun: see our Wanstead Flats guide. For free indoor space, see our Wanstead Library guide.
Facts checked on 28 October 2026 against the cited pages.
