The London Aquatics Centre in East London's Olympic Park has been heavily criticized for allegedly being 'run into the ground' and failing to properly accommodate disabled users. The venue, a landmark of the London 2012 Olympics, is operated by Everyone Active under an eight-year lease from the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).
Members Raise Concerns
Members and regular users have reported persistent issues since Everyone Active took over in 2024, including toilets without seats, broken showers, and poor disabled access. One anonymous member told MyLondon: 'Towards the end of last year, I started noticing these problems. The disabled barriers weren't working. There were missing toilet seats. The spin dryers weren't working.' They added that management responses were inadequate, and under the Equality Act 2010, blocking disabled access is a problem.
Operator Response
Chris Wells, Everyone Active contract manager, stated: 'As a registered accessible venue, the London Aquatics Centre recognises the importance of accessible provision.' He explained that four of 45 standard toilets and four of 20 accessible toilets were temporarily without seats due to bespoke parts, but all were due to be restored. He also noted intermittent issues with the accessible entrance gate but said an alternative gate remained operational. Spin dryers had been temporarily unavailable due to vandalism but were now fully functional.
User Experiences
A Google review from June 2025 described an incident where a disabled visitor was stuck in the pool for an extra hour because the wheelchair lift was not working. The reviewer said: 'We again tried to use the pool... as they said the staff would be able to transfer my dad into the pool manually... Which again was an issue.' Despite some positive reviews, negative feedback has increased recently.
LLDC Commitment
Mark Camley, Executive Director at LLDC, said: 'LLDC is committed to creating and maintaining accessible and inclusive environments for everyone. We are engaging with Everyone Active... They have set out the necessary steps to resolve these issues.' He noted that the venue serves over 1 million visitors annually and has received an Excellent rating in a Customer Service Excellence audit.
