Bethnal Green's York Hall closed 'until next year'

The historic leisure centre and sports arena York Hall in Bethnal Green, may not reopen until next year, Tower Hamlets Council has said.

The council closed the building in east London after traces of the Legionella bacteria were found during testing on 15 July.

The bacteria can cause Legionnaires disease - a type of pneumonia - when inhaled with water vapour or mist.

Councillors have been told the centre may reopen in January. However one manager said there was "a possibility that that might not happen" if test results remained positive.

A report to councillors said the building's ageing pipework made reopening the centre harder than expected.

It also found Legionella had now been discovered in the centre's cold water system.

Additionally, some of the fixtures supporting redundant sections of pipework are made of cancer-causing asbestos, and have to be removed.

The report said: "York Hall is nearly 100 years old and has a complex water system, some of it original. There is no complete record of the pipework and some pipes cannot be traced.

"For these reasons, it is taking longer than expected to eradicate the Legionella."

The report to councillors said York Hall's closure could cost about £924,000 in lost income and repairs.

Some local councillors criticised the communication around the leisure centre, and said more could have been done to keep the local community informed.

Senior council manager David Joyce said that the council did send updates on the closure to members of York Hall, but admitted they "could have been more proactive".

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