Brent Council Closing Willesden Indoor Track for Gym: North London, 2026

Key Points

• Imminent Closure: Brent Council is just weeks away from permanently closing the 60-metre indoor athletics track at Willesden Sports Centre to make space for an expanded gym.
• Charity Impacted: The decision directly affects Track Academy, a youth athletics charity founded in 2007 by former international triple jump athlete Connie Henry MBE.
• Vulnerable Youth At Risk: Track Academy supports hundreds of young people aged five to 23 each year, offering sports training, academic support, and mentorship.
• Winter Training Deficit: Charity leaders warn that removing the indoor facility will leave vulnerable young athletes without safe winter training conditions for more than five months of the year.
• Equality & Accessibility Concerns: Concerns have been raised regarding the disproportionate financial and logistical impact the closure will have on disabled individuals, low-income families, and young residents in the London Borough of Brent.

Brent (North London News) November 5, 2026 — A North London local authority is just weeks away from closing one of London’s few indoor athletics facilities to replace the space with a commercial gym expansion. Brent Council notified the youth athletics charity Track Academy in June 2026 of its plans to redevelop the indoor track at Willesden Sports Centre. With the closure deadline approaching rapidly, the decision has caused deep distress among local residents, young athletes, and community organizers who rely heavily on the facility.

Why is the indoor track at Willesden Sports Centre being closed?

As reported by Louis Dargavel Corbett of MyLondon, Brent Council informed the charity in early June 2026 that the 60-metre indoor track at the Willesden Sports Centre would be decommissioned and converted into an expanded gym area. The council’s redevelopment project is progressing despite widespread objections from the charity and members of the surrounding community who utilize the specialized space.

The indoor track at Willesden Sports Centre serves as a rare asset in Greater London, providing a sheltered, climate-controlled space for sprint training, athletic field drills, and winter physical activity. The planned redevelopment means the charity now faces an imminent deadline before access to the track is revoked permanently.

How will the facility closure impact Track Academy and young athletes?

As reported by Louis Dargavel Corbett of MyLondon, Track Academy was founded in 2007 by Brent-born Connie Henry MBE, a former international triple jump athlete who won a bronze medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. The charity provides structured athletic training, educational support, homework clubs, and career mentorship to hundreds of young people aged five to 23 annually.

Currently, the charity operates three dedicated sessions per week out of the Willesden facility. The loss of the indoor track presents what leadership describes as an existential threat to their seasonal operations, directly impacting children who depend on the shelter of the facility during adverse weather conditions.

As reported by Louis Dargavel Corbett of MyLondon, Patrik Ewe, Chief Executive Officer of Track Academy, expressed serious concern over the long-term impact on local youth. As stated by Patrik Ewe of Track Academy to Louis Dargavel Corbett of MyLondon, “they’ll be out on the streets” and he added that the closure would leave many young athletes without adequate training facilities for more than five months of the year due to cold and inclement winter weather.

What are the specific concerns regarding equality and local access?

As reported by Louis Dargavel Corbett of MyLondon, internal assessments and community feedback highlight that the loss of the indoor track will disproportionately affect marginalized groups within the Borough of Brent.

As stated by Patrik Ewe of Track Academy to Louis Dargavel Corbett of MyLondon,

“In their own assessment, by this change young people will be severely impacted, those from low-income families will be impacted, and disabled people will be impacted, but they are going to plough on with the scheme”.

Local supporters and charity organizers emphasize that substituting an accessible youth athletics track with a paid gym model reduces the dedicated provision for sports development and community mentorship tailored to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Background of the particular development

Willesden Sports Centre, situated on Donnington Road in North London, is a primary sports hub owned by Brent Council and managed in partnership with external leisure management operators. Historically, the venue featured a combination of indoor and outdoor running infrastructure, including a 25-metre swimming pool, a four-court sports hall, a standard outdoor 400-metre track, and the 60-metre indoor track.

Track Academy was established at the centre in 2007 to address social exclusion, educational underachievement, and youth crime in Brent through sport and structured mentoring. Over nearly two decades of operation, the organization expanded its reach to deliver free or subsidized athletics sessions, educational tutoring, and community support schemes.

In recent years, local authorities across the United Kingdom have faced increasing budgetary pressures, leading many councils to restructure leisure management services to maximize revenue-generating commercial spaces, such as high-density gym floors and fitness studios, over specialized non-profit or lower-yield athletic infrastructure.

Prediction: How this development can affect the local community and youth

The removal of the indoor athletics track at Willesden Sports Centre is likely to produce significant operational, social, and developmental consequences for several key groups across the London Borough of Brent:

1. Young Athletes and Track Academy Participants: The primary beneficiaries of Track Academy—children and young adults aged five to 23—will experience a substantial reduction in safe, structured sports training during autumn and winter months. Without an indoor track to shield athletes from freezing temperatures and rain, regular training schedules will face widespread cancellations or seasonal disruption.
2. Low-Income and Vulnerable Families: Families relying on accessible, affordable youth programs organized by Track Academy may find fewer alternatives in the local area. The transition to expanded commercial gym facilities shifts local infrastructure toward pay-to-use models, potentially pricing out young residents from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
3. Disabled Athletes and Adaptive Sports Users: The removal of specialized, flat indoor track space reduces accessible training areas for disabled participants and adaptive athletics programs that require controlled, weather-protected environments year-round.
4. Local Youth Engagement and Community Cohesion: Community organizers note that removing safe spaces and structured evening/weekend activities increases the risk of young people drifting into unsupervised public areas during winter months, potentially diminishing the positive social impact achieved by youth sports charities in North London.