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New Waddon leisure centre is forced to close swimming pool

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Waddon Leisure Centre, one of Croydon’s Tory council’s prestige projects, has had to close its main pool “until further notice” – because it’s getting a supply of extra water coming in from outside.

The leisure centre management made the decision this morning because a window around the 25-metre pool had been blown in during the recent storms. The safety of the rest of the windows must also be a concern.

It is less than 12 months since Waddon Leisure Centre finally opened after six years in the planning and build.

The centre cost £15 million under Croydon Council’s controversial CCURV property speculation scheme, though clearly not enough was spent on fitting windows that can withstand British weather.

“We’ve had to close the pool urgently for a few days,” one of the leisure centre’s staff told Inside Croydon this lunchtime. With the closure coming right in the middle of the school Christmas holidays, and with adults’ New Year get-fit resolutions ready and waiting to be activated after over-indulging over the holiday period, the closure is likely to be expensive as well as embarrassing.

Waddon charges local residents £44 per month to use its various facilities – including the pool – nearly a tenner more than some of the offers at nearby commercial sports and health centres.

“We’ve got people in looking at the problem right now,” the leisure centre staff said. Asked when the pool might re-open, there was uncertainty. “We don’t know. It could be a few days.

“We’ve had a window blown in by the storms, and at this point we don’t know how long it might take to repair.”

Purley Pool, which the council wants to close, remains functioning and open.

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