Redbridge Council has approved plans to convert the former Wanstead Youth Centre on Elmcroft Avenue into a new education hub. Community use of the building will continue, the council says, but the large gymnasium at the back of the site is to be converted into classrooms.
In a statement, the council said:
Redbridge Council’s Cabinet Committee have approved exciting plans to deliver a new Education and Youth hub on the site of the former Wanstead Youth Centre.
The plans include significant investment in developing the building and outdoor space for the benefit of all residents across Redbridge. The new development will benefit the local community, children, young people, and local community groups.
The new Education and Youth Hub, a project shaped by the input of the local community through extensive consultations and feedback sessions, will secure the long-term future of youth and community services in the area.
Through shared facility use between the Council’s Education and Youth Services and the community, it will provide modern education facilities for children and young people aged between 0 and 19, ensuring a high standard of learning.
In addition, the new facility will also support the growing need for a range of specialist education facilities for children and young people. It will do so through a dedicated and spacious learning environment while providing high-quality facilities and resources for families with babies and children under five.
The Education and Youth hub will also provide high-quality youth and community facilities for local young people, adults, community groups, voluntary agencies, and private providers in the evening, at weekends, and during school holidays.
The Early Years Play and Development Centre, a unique feature of the new facility, will be located at the front of the hub. It will host a kitchen, lounge area, community cafe, playroom, and sensory room. There will also be an infant feeding room, reception, office space, therapy space and a music recording studio. As part of the plans, the main gymnasium will be retained. The rear gymnasium will be converted into further classrooms, a dining hall and multipurpose practical space for the alternative provision.
The Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Kam Rai, said: “Very few, if any, local authorities are investing in community facilities like Redbridge. This new facility will provide a safe and nurturing environment for children and young people and offer a range of high-quality services for families and the wider community, enhancing the quality of life for local people.
“More than a decade of Government austerity has significantly impacted Redbridge, having £150m less to spend on local services every year. Despite these challenges, we are committed to delivering vital services and investing in what matters most to our neighbours, and we are making this happen by using a ringfenced educational grant.
“We understand the importance of youth services, and that’s why we have decided to provide a much-improved centre for local people now and for future generations.”
Unlike other leisure and community buildings, Wanstead Youth Centre incurs a significant net cost and requires a council-funded subsidy. In April 2022, a building condition survey was completed, highlighting that considerable structural work would be essential to bring the facility up to modern standards. The new Education and Youth Hub is designed to be financially sustainable, ensuring its long-term viability.
The building dates from the mid-1940s and requires significant structural work to bring it up to a good standard. In April 2022, a building survey revealed that essential repairs were estimated to cost £2.4 million. Moreover, the centre, which used to host private events, incurred a loss of nearly £90,000 from 2022 to 2023.
The new Education and Youth Hub is set to open in September 2025.
Will there be car parking spaces adequate for this borough wide facility and full disability access?
This building was not built in the mid 1940’s,(WW2), was built late 1950’s and opened in 1957 as part of the hall/ dining area and gym as part of the Nightingale Secondary Modern School.