York Hall, the leisure centre and boxing venue on Old Ford Road in Bethnal Green, will not reopen before January 2027, and only then if three rounds of water tests come back clear, Tower Hamlets Council has told councillors.
The building has been shut since 15 July, when routine water sampling found Legionella bacteria in its hot water system. A report to the council’s overview and scrutiny committee on Monday 19 October says the bacteria has since been found in the cold water system too, despite extensive treatment.
Why it is taking so long
“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,” the report says.
Asbestos flanges have also been found holding up redundant pipework in the basement. They have to be removed by licensed contractors, with notice given to the Health and Safety Executive.
The council’s indicative timetable is:
- Asbestos removal: 13 October to 6 November
- Pipework changes: 9 to 13 November
- Cleaning and disinfection of the water systems: 16 to 20 November
- Three rounds of water sampling: 23 to 28 November
- Test results: 11 December
The centre will reopen only after three clear results in a row and independent confirmation that the water is safe. The council says it chose a January target because a date before Christmas could slip again. Full replacement of the pipework is planned in phases over 2027-28 and 2028-29, if capital funding is found.
The spa may stay shut for longer
The spa faces a separate problem. The council is commissioning an independent review of defects in the sauna and steam rooms, which were refurbished in 2025. That review will decide whether the spa can reopen in January. The report says the issue is not connected to the Legionella or asbestos work.
The closure is expected to cost about £930,000 in lost income and stock between July 2026 and January 2027. That figure leaves out the repair bill and any extra losses if the spa stays closed. The council is in talks with its insurers.
Councillors criticise the communication
At the committee, Green councillor Rupert George said the council had not been open with the public about why York Hall closed. “An immediate notification of the public would have shown the council being in control, and that communication didn’t happen,” he said, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
David Joyce, a senior council manager, said updates had been sent to York Hall members. “Not everyone is a member who uses York Hall and I think we could have been more proactive. I think you are right that we didn’t do well enough in this space,” he said.
A famous ring
The Standard reports that professional boxing at the site dates back to the 1940s, and that Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Lennox Lewis have all boxed in its ring. The council report says officers are working with schools, clubs and event organisers on alternative arrangements, with particular attention to York Hall’s standing as a nationally recognised boxing venue. The building is Grade II listed.
What members get
Be Well, the council’s leisure service, has moved members whose home site is York Hall onto a free membership. They pay no fees until three months after the centre reopens and can use other Be Well centres in the meantime. Some York Hall classes have moved to Whitechapel Sports Centre and Poplar Baths.
The essentials
- What: York Hall Leisure Centre and Spa, closed since 15 July 2026
- Where: Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, London E2
- Expected reopening: January 2027, subject to three clear water tests and independent sign-off
- Spa: depends on a separate review of sauna and steam room defects
- Members: fees frozen until three months after reopening; other Be Well centres open to them
- Updates: Be Well York Hall update
For other places to sweat in the area while York Hall is shut, see our guide to saunas in east London.