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

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Plans to redevelop the Willesden Sports Centre have been paused, with a final decision to be made on November 25

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.

Brent 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.”

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