Newham Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee excluded the public and press from a portion of its meeting on Tuesday, 7 October 2025, to discuss confidential information related to the capital fit-out of Manor Park Gym. The Agenda frontsheet shows that the meeting took place at Newham Dockside. Attendees included Councillor Lester Hudson (Chair of Overview and Scrutiny), Councillor Liz Cronin, Councillor Joshua Garfield (Scrutiny Commission Chair), and other councillors and officers.

The specific financial or commercial information deemed confidential related to exempt documentation regarding the Manor Park Gym – Capital Investment. The decision to exclude the public was made under Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, which allows for the exclusion of the public when exempt information is likely to be disclosed.

The committee was considering a call-in of a Cabinet decision from 16 September 2025, where the Cabinet agreed to release £2.1 million for the fit-out of Manor Park Gym. The Cabinet also noted that Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL) would manage the fit-out program within the agreed budget, according to the Decisions 16092025 1030 Cabinet document.

Before allocating the £2.1 million, two alternative options were considered and ultimately rejected. One option was to halt the capital budget, which would have left a vacant space and a continued lack of affordable gym provision in the north-east of the borough. The second rejected option involved requesting GLL to reduce the specification of the gym fit-out to lower costs. However, this was deemed potentially detrimental to revenue income and could have led to increased management fees or compensation to GLL1.

The Manor Park Gym Capital Investment Cabinet Report stated that the gym is expected to be handed over to leisure services as a shell and core in late October 2025. The new gym, a replacement for a fitness centre on the old Greenhill site operated by the previous leisure operator, is a reprovision of the offer previously available for local residents on the site prior to a regeneration of the area.

Subject to the handover date and commissioning of works, the new gym is expected to open in February 2026.

  1. Reducing the specification of the Manor Park Gym fit out was rejected because it might have an impact on revenue income. The consequence would then be the management fee would increase to reflect the loss of revenue. Furthermore, under the terms of the Agreement the Council would need to compensate GLL for the loss of predicted profit. If GLL considered the change would materially affect their ability to deliver the Manor Park services, they would be entitled to refuse such a request. ↩