A 130-year-old leisure centre is set to shut for three years while refurbishment works take place.

Hackney Council recently agreed to move ahead with plans to redesign Kings Hall Leisure Centre in Lower Clapton Road, Clapton.

The 130-year-old leisure centre needs refurbishment as its deteriorating condition has caused several temporary closures in recent years, the council said.

For work to be carried out, it is expected that the centre will need to close for three years.

Amid financial pressures, the council has said that it has decided to prioritise the refurbishment of Kings Hall - the only leisure facility serving residents in the east of the borough – over similar projects elsewhere.

This means that plans for a new teaching pool at London Fields lido have been paused. 

An upgrade to the play area in London Fields is still expected to take place in 2025 or 2026.

On the current timetable, Kings Hall would shut next autumn and not reopen until the latter half of 2028.

The council says it is exploring whether it can provide temporary health and fitness facilities in another venue in the east of the borough during the closure.

The investment in the leisure centre will come from capital funding, which is used for maintaining and improving council buildings, and not from day-to-day spending on key services.

Under the proposals developed by Faulkner Brown Architects, which worked on the award-winning Britannia Leisure Centre in Hoxton, a new sauna and steam room will be built at the centre.

The plans will also include a refurbishment of the existing pool, as well as the creation of a new teaching pool, sauna, steam room, changing rooms and fitness suite.

A new two-court sports hall also forms part of the proposal to rejuvenate the grade-II listed building.

Hackney Mayor Caroline Woodley said the decision to move ahead with the plans was “exciting”, but acknowledged it had been a difficult one due to financial challenges.

She added: “Kings Hall Leisure Centre has been at the heart of Hackney for generations and attracts local residents from all walks of life to enjoy exercise, healthy activity and leisure.

“I’m delighted that these stunning plans will transform the centre and that we are able to invest in the wellbeing of our local communities.

“We’ve worked really hard with centre users to make sure we can preserve and protect what’s important to residents, and provide vital new facilities and amenities for everyone to enjoy.”