A NEW leisure centre and swimming pool for New Addington is to be the first phase of Central Parade's regeneration – and building work could start next year.
The council has confirmed it wants to build a new leisure centre as an immediate priority. It is hoped work, pending consultation and planning permission, could start by the end of 2015.
The new facility will be built on Central Parade, but the current outdated leisure centre will remain open while the building work takes place.
Councillor Alison Butler, cabinet member for homes and regeneration, said: "We have been discussing the regeneration plans for Central Parade and we have decided to build this first.
"Clearly we have spent a lot of time in New Addington during the election campaign and there was a strong view they wanted the council to come and deliver.
"We think it is really important we deliver something for the people of New Addington first."
Cllr Butler said the project would be funded by the money made from homes built on the estate in years to come.
The council is looking for suitable sites around Central Parade for housing projects, which will include council, mixed tenure and private schemes. It is also looking at building on Fishers Farm recycling centre.
Cllr Butler added: "We are looking to use the brownfield land because it overlooks a lot of green and open sites and would be a good location for a housing scheme.
"The recycling centre is also currently very close to residential areas and cars line up in the morning to drop off their stuff, which isn't great for the people living in that area."
Cllr Butler said she hoped the construction of the new leisure centre would take no longer than two years, but could not yet commit to a cost for the scheme.
