Places Leisure has confirmed in writing that the 1 July closure of Putney Leisure Centre’s pool will not go ahead. The councillor who ordered the halt says he still hasn’t seen the plans to shrink the pool length from 33m to 25m, which he paused five days ago.
Cllr Ethan Brooks, the new Cabinet Member for Environment and a Putney councillor, wrote in a community group: “I need to see the plans (which I still haven’t) and need to understand the engagement process they foresee carrying out, before I’m going to let anything happen.”
The pool question is not resolved. Brooks made clear that after his meetings with Places Leisure next week, some works will still proceed and some will be stopped.
What Places Leisure said
Late last week, members received an email from Places Leisure (the operator running the centre on behalf of Wandsworth Council) confirming the halt. “Following feedback from Customers and stakeholders, we have agreed with the Council to pause the planned pool closure,” it said. “As a result, the pool closure scheduled for Wednesday 1st July will not go ahead, and swimming activities will continue as normal until further notice.”
The email promised a “programme of engagement” with members and the wider community over the coming weeks. It made no mention of the pool’s length, the 33-metre question, or the reconfiguration plans that caused the dispute.
Brooks’s statement filled some of those gaps. He said meetings between his officer team and Places Leisure took place on Thursday, with more scheduled next week, which he will attend personally as Cabinet Member. A formal council announcement is expected this week.
What this means for the pool
The halt is not a cancellation. The refurbishment of Putney Leisure Centre, a £24m project approved under the previous Labour administration, is still under way. What Brooks has paused is the pool closure element pending review. Some works will proceed regardless.
The central question about pool length remains open. The documents that would show what the previous administration approved are still being withheld. Putney.news filed a Freedom of Information request for those papers back in November 2025; the internal review has been overdue for more than 33 working days.
More than 1,300 people have signed the petition calling for the 33-metre pool to be retained.
We have written over ten stories on the planned refurbishment of Putney Leisure Centre: each one raising serious questions about how it has been handled. The pattern throughout has been the same: decisions about a publicly owned facility taken without adequate public notice, then reversed or modified under pressure. An announcement expected this week will be the next chapter.
What residents can do
The engagement process has been promised but not yet detailed. Places Leisure says it will share information on “how you can get involved shortly.”
In the meantime, Cllr Brooks can be contacted directly at cllr.e.brooks@wandsworth.gov.uk. The petition to save the 33-metre pool remains open.
