South London swimming club faces £500 monthly loss after new pool closure
A not-for-profit swimming club in South London is experiencing significant financial strain, losing approximately £500 per month following the unexpected closure of a brand new council swimming pool just six weeks after its grand opening.
Southwark Aquatics Swimming Club (SASC), which provides high-level training for competitive swimmers aged 8 to 15, has seen its operations severely disrupted since the main pool at Canada Water Leisure Centre shut down on October 13, 2025.
Safety concerns force immediate closure
The eight-lane, 25-metre pool opened with much anticipation on September 1, 2025, following months of construction delays. However, safety concerns identified during maintenance work in December have kept the facility closed indefinitely.
A statement on the council-run leisure centre's website explains: "During installation of replacement parts for the Air Handling Unit in December, contractors identified an additional, related issue that must be resolved before the pool can safely reopen. We are currently waiting confirmation from our engineers on when this additional work can be completed."
While the main pool remains closed, the adjacent learner pool with a moveable floor continues to operate normally, along with other facilities including a four-court sports hall, a 'world-class' gym, and three group exercise studios.
Competitive swimming programme decimated
The closure has forced SASC to reduce its swimming programme to just over half of its usual capacity, with members having to travel up to seven miles to alternative training venues.
Andy Moore, Chairman of SASC, revealed the club has lost around 10% of its membership since the closure, with remaining members paying only half their usual fees due to the reduced programme.
"We have the least entrants in the county championships that we've had for probably over a decade," Moore told the Local Democracy Reporting Service. "Training is only 50% of what you normally do, so technique isn't as good and stamina isn't as good because you've not been training as intensively."
Financial impact and operational challenges
The club's monthly revenue has dropped by £500, compounded by increased costs as coaches require compensation for longer travel times to alternative venues.
"In some instances, we're actually having to pay more for the pool space that we've got because we're expecting our coaches to travel further," Moore explained. "To compensate them, we're still paying them for two hours, even if they're working one hour."
The club had previously operated from Seven Islands Leisure Centre, which closed after 60 years of service to make way for the new Canada Water development. The boarded-up former facility now stands covered in graffiti, a stark contrast to the promised modern replacement.
Future uncertainty for competitive swimming
SASC had been designated as the principal pool users at the new leisure centre, with the first six weeks of operation showing promising results in attracting new swimmers to the club.
"We were really pleased, and the first six weeks went really well," Moore recalled. "It was good for us as a club because it was attracting new swimmers, but clearly when the pool closed, we had the opposite effect."
The club now faces reduced inquiries from potential new members, threatening its long-term sustainability as membership fees represent its primary revenue stream for covering pool hire costs.
The Canada Water Leisure Centre forms part of the multi-billion-pound Canada Water Masterplan, a joint development between British Land, AustralianSuper, and Southwark Council spanning 53 acres. Southwark Council has been approached for comment regarding the ongoing closure and its impact on local swimming clubs.
