Population growth and demographic change will place increasing pressure on London’s sport and physical activity facilities over the next decade, according to new analysis from London Sport.
Our research shows this shift will reshape the type of facilities and services needed in the future, with growing demand for accessible, inclusive and health-focused spaces that support people to remain active for longer.
Around half of Londoners aged 65 and over are expected to be living with multiple long-term health conditions by 2035.
At the same time, declining numbers of children and young people in some boroughs (10% decline across London) risk creating a false impression of reduced demand, potentially leading to the loss of facilities that will still be critical to London’s overall capacity.
The research highlights that some of the greatest pressure will fall on boroughs that already have some of the lowest levels of provision.
In Newham, home of the London 2012 Olympic Games, facility provision ranks among the lowest in the capital. Tower Hamlets, one of England’s most deprived local authority areas, is projected to experience population growth well above the London average (7.9% v 4.4%) despite already limited provision.
Without action, inequalities in access to physical activity facilities could deepen further over the next decade, alongside wider health inequalities.
The analysis shows that investment is essential simply to maintain current levels of provision in the face of changing demand in the capital. In fact, the cost to maintain 2025 provision across London overall exceeds £200m. London will need 288 additional sport and physical activity facilities to support a population projected to grow by more than 400,000 people over the next decade.
London’s population is not only growing, but ageing. The number of residents aged 65 and over is projected to increase by 25% by 2035.