Ealing Labour has once again kicked the long-promised Gurnell Leisure Centre rebuild into the long grass despite earlier pledges that work would begin in 2025.
At the Full Council meeting on 4th March 2025, Cabinet Member Cllr Hashani confidently told residents that “building work on Gurnell would start this year.” Yet, when challenged by Ealing Conservatives on 21st October 2025 to confirm a start date, the Labour administration refused to commit, not even guaranteeing that construction will begin before next the May 2026 local elections.
This latest evasion follows months of muddled messaging from Labour’s leadership. Back in April 2025, another Labour cabinet member admitted that a “a funding strategy for Gurnell is still being developed". Six months later, there is still no full costing for the leisure centre, let alone the housing project that is supposed to pay for it. Labour says this so-called “strategy” won’t appear until February 2026 at the earliest.
Ealing Conservative Group Leader Cllr Julian Gallant said:
“Labour’s record on Gurnell is one of dither, delay and broken promises. It’s been over five and a half years since Gurnell closed its doors, and there’s still no start date, no funding plan, and no credibility left. Residents are right to wonder if the pile of rubble on the site will ever become a leisure centre. The people of Ealing deserve action, not excuses.”
