Friends of River Park

03/03/2026

See our response to the public consultation, reported by the Hampshire Chronicle soon after it closed.

A SECOND round of public consultation has ended for the future of the River Park Leisure Centre. The deadline was midnight on Sunday February 15 for…

28/02/2026

The desolation of the old River Park Leisure Centre building and its surroundings under flood. Add your voice to ours to ensure the demolition of the redundant, vandalised building as soon as possible, and a community-driven, green solution to the remediation of this precious site.

25/01/2026

Whatever the result of the public consultation on the future of the leisure centre site, it is high time the redundant, derelict building was demolished. It may be several years until an acceptable, viable, community driven purpose is determined and, in the meantime, we have a safety hazard which requires increasing amounts of taxpayer expenditure to insure, maintain and protect.

SECURITY is being beefed up at River Park Leisure Centre after a spate of anti-social behaviour including trespass by urban explorers who posted…

13/01/2026

Wi******er City Council has just published this announcement. Whether the expressions of interest include proposals for retaining the land in public ownership, for public recreational use, remain to be seen. But we intend to take a full part in the consultations and would encourage everyone to go along and to let us know their views. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1339575248208935&set=a.314267207406416

📣You're Invited!

We're holding a drop-in engagement event on the future of the former leisure centre site

📅Tuesday 27 January from 3-7pm
📍The Courtyard, Guildhall Wi******er, SO23 9GH

There is no need to book. Just pop along, find out more, ask questions and tell us what you think.

Can’t make the event? Don’t worry. From Tuesday 27 January, residents will have the opportunity to read the updated project information and tell us what they think via our website: www.winchester.gov.uk/former-leisure-centre-site

📣Find out more- https://www.winchester.gov.uk/news/2026/jan/future-development-options-for-the-former-leisure-centre-site

21/11/2025

FORP letter to Hampshire Chronicle 20.11.25

21/11/2025

RPLC on the market again...

CIVIC chiefs are to have another go at disposing of the vandal-hit River Park Leisure Centre.

20/11/2025

See the 22/11/25 Hampshire Chronicle front page article and Editorial Comment and letter on p22:

SO here we are. The future of the River Park Leisure Centre is again in the spotlight. Some six months after the deal collapsed with Southampton…

14/11/2025

There is an issue in regard to the wooden bridge across the river between Hyde Abbey Garden (and the car park) and River Park. This bridge is actually part of the Hyde Abbey commemorative Garden, it is Grade II listed, and it is only for pedestrian use. It’s not intended, nor is it strong enough, to bear the weight of vehicular traffic.

One of our group members twice came across van drivers who had been given the keys to unlock the padlocks out of the stanchions either side of the bridge in order to repair the pitches. On both occasions they were told they couldn’t do that but they professed to know nothing about any prohibition.

The stanchions were removed completely for the Bonfire Night and scaffolding was erected which used the side balustrades as supports – they are now leaning outwards as a result.

14/11/2025

The son of one of our members was cycling to work through River Park on the morning of 31st October, and as he went through the path next to Riverside Bowls and the skatepark he found large amounts of smashed glass on the path. He looked up and saw that some of the large glass window panes at the top of the leisure centre building were smashed, and a number of young children were playing nearby on scooters, in the play area and in the skatepark.

We were told that this would be dealt with. However, all that happened was that Heras fencing was erected either end of the path – much of the smashed glass remained, right next to the skatepark.

And, on Remembrance Sunday, after the Bonfire Night, one end of that fencing was bashed down leaving the path and the glass open to anybody to access.

The park was packed with families and small children, and the detritus from Bonfire Night was disgusting. It littered the area around the area of the skatepark, the play area and the building.

14/11/2025

The Nuns Stream between the new pavilion building and where the stream emerges into the Itchen canal by the banana bridge is stagnant, grey and revolting. The River Itchen is an SAC (Special Area of Conservation) and an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). This pollution is unacceptable.

14/11/2025

The old River Park leisure centre building is in a disgraceful, unsafe state. Young people continue to gain access to the building, and there was a recent injury (broken limb).

The outside of the building is covered with really monstrous graffiti, some of it explicit, and it is shocking that anyone – let alone young children – should be exposed to it.

The area around the electricity sub-station is a mess. People have clearly been climbing in. Electrical wires hang down above it (even if there is no supply to the building, it’s not a good look!).