Woolwich Leisure Centre

Client
Royal Borough of Greenwich
Contractor
Value
£82m
Completion Date
Dec 2025

The Challenge

The delivery of The Wave presented a series of complex design, construction and stakeholder challenges. The project required the creation of a modern, multi-purpose leisure destination capable of serving a diverse range of users, including competitive athletes, fitness enthusiasts, families, children, older residents and people with disabilities. The design needed to successfully integrate swimming pools, fitness facilities, sports spaces, wellness amenities and community areas within a single building while maintaining intuitive navigation and an inclusive user experience.

From a stakeholder perspective, the project was replacing the much-loved former Waterfront Leisure Centre, creating high public expectations around retaining popular facilities while delivering a significantly enhanced offer. Construction was further complicated by the scale of the £82 million development, specialist engineering requirements and its location within a busy town centre regeneration programme close to major transport hubs. Sustainability targets added further complexity, with the facility required to achieve exceptional environmental performance despite the energy-intensive nature of leisure and aquatic facilities.

The Solution

The project team adopted an integrated design and construction approach to address the technical, operational and community challenges. A carefully planned facility mix was developed, including a 25-metre eight-lane competition pool, leisure pool with flumes, training pool, two-storey gym, fitness studios, spa facilities, sports hall, squash courts, indoor football pitch, soft play areas and community spaces. This diverse provision ensured broad appeal and long-term usability for all sections of the community.

To maintain continuity with the former leisure centre, popular family-focused attractions, including water slides and leisure water facilities, were incorporated into the new design. Accessibility was embedded throughout through the inclusion of Changing Places facilities, accessible changing rooms, specialist pool access equipment and inclusive circulation routes. Construction activities were carefully coordinated with the wider regeneration programme to minimise disruption in a busy urban environment. Sustainability objectives were achieved through innovative solutions including one of the UK’s largest air source heat pump arrays, rooftop solar panels, green roof systems and a stacked multi-storey design that maximised a constrained town-centre site.

The Results

The completed Woolwich Waves leisure centre has become a landmark community asset that delivers significant social, environmental and economic benefits for the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The 12,800m² facility provides some of the most comprehensive leisure, fitness and wellbeing amenities in the region, creating opportunities for healthier lifestyles, increased physical activity and greater community participation. The centre has also become a key catalyst within the wider Woolwich regeneration programme, encouraging investment and supporting local economic growth.

Construction performance was equally impressive, achieving zero RIDDOR incidents across more than 600,000 working hours, a perfect 45/45 Considerate Constructors Scheme score and 100% waste diversion from landfill. Sustainability outcomes include achieving BREEAM Outstanding at design stage, establishing a low-carbon energy network and creating infrastructure capable of supplying sustainable heat to neighbouring community assets and more than 500 future homes. Community legacy benefits included 39 apprenticeships, 31 jobs created, over 770 students engaged in education initiatives and £12.6 million of added social value

39

Apprentices

72.4%

SME Spend

£12.6m

Added Value

9/10

Client Satisfaction

Client Testimonials

“It’s not just an exemplar leisure centre any city would be proud to have… Woolwich Waves will be at the forefront of improving the quality of life and health of our residents.”

Cllr Anthony OkerekeLeader of the Council

“Woolwich Waves represents exactly the kind of community facility that Sport England is committed to supporting. It will help to break down barriers to activity, bring communities together, and create opportunities for people of all ages to lead healthier, more active lives.”

Lisa Dodd-MayneExecutive Director for Place

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Contractor Performance | Commitments

Sustainability

Achieved (or is on track to achieve) BREEAM Outstanding, one of the highest sustainability ratings available, making it only the second leisure centre in the UK to reach this standard.

Features one of the UK’s largest Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) arrays, providing low-carbon heating for the leisure centre.

The ASHP-fed energy centre also supplies sustainable heat to the neighbouring Tramshed Theatre and community arts hub, reducing overall carbon emissions across the wider development.

Designed to become the heat source for more than 500 new homes being developed nearby, creating a community-scale low-carbon energy network.

Incorporates a substantial planted green roof, improving biodiversity, supporting rainwater attenuation, and helping to reduce the urban heat island effect.

Adopted an innovative stacked, multi-storey design to maximise the use of a constrained urban site, reducing land take while delivering a large leisure facility in the town centre. Sustainability was embedded throughout the design, construction and operational phases, forming a core project objective from inception.

The facility forms part of the wider Woolwich regeneration programme, combining health, community and environmental benefits within a sustainable urban development.

Designed to support active, healthy lifestyles for residents, contributing to the social sustainability and wellbeing objectives of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Achieved BREEAM Outstanding at design stage, demonstrating exceptional environmental performance alongside strong social value outcomes

Legacy

Generated 31 jobs, 39 apprenticeships and 40 work experience placements and engaged 770+ students through careers STEM initiatives and Developed a Knowledge Quad training hub.

Established a low-carbon energy network benefiting the leisure centre, neighbouring facilities and future homes

Safe

Achieved zero RIDDOR reportable accidents throughout construction, demonstrating exemplary health and safety management across a complex £80m leisure centre project.

Delivered over 600,000 person-hours of work while maintaining strong safety performance and workforce engagement.

Fair

100% payment within 30 days terms

Collaborative two-stage procurement

Open-book cost planning and early supply-chain engagement

Aftercare

Deployed Government Soft landings for handover

Digital handover providing a single source of truth with QA records

Drawings and asset information