Midnight gym workouts may boost council's income

An east London council is considering keeping some of its leisure centres open until 02:00 to generate more income.

Tower Hamlets said extending opening hours at the Whitechapel and Mile End centres could meet "rising demand from shift workers and younger adults".

The council also said it could allow badminton and other late-night bookings in the hall and more access to the fitness studio.

"Feedback from residents and service users has shown that extended hours are one of the highest priorities for young people, and those who are shift workers, including NHS staff at the Royal London Hospital," a council spokesperson said.

"We anticipate extending opening hours at these centres until 02:00 could help generate an additional £50k income annually. This income will be directly reinvested into council services, and is what allows us to offer programmes such as free swimming in the borough.

"While this will be a pilot, it is an example of how we listen to our residents, shaping and improving services to meet their needs."

The proposal is included in the council's draft budget plans for the 2026-27 financial year, which starts in April.

While privately-operated 24-hour gyms have become common across London, council-run facilities tend to open during specific hours.

Whitechapel Sports Centre currently opens between 07:00 and 22:00 on weekdays, and 08:00 and 16:00 on weekends and bank holidays.

Mile End Park Leisure Centre opens 06:00 to 22:00 weekdays, 08:00 to 18:00 on weekends, and 09:00 to 21:00 on bank holidays.

Proposals under consideration suggest they could both open until 02:00 every day except Sundays.

The later openings could cost the council an extra £250,000 but bring in £300,000 in new income in the coming financial year.

Proposals suggest this could rise to £100,000 in income in the 2027-28 financial year and to £120,000 the year after that.

However to achieve this, leisure centre membership would need to increase by 600 people.

The proposals also said the council would need to raise an additional £25,000 through badminton and sports hall bookings.

Councillors on a cabinet committee endorsed the draft budget proposals at a meeting last week and the final budget is set to be voted on at a meeting of all councillors on 25 February.

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