The vibrant new leisure centre in Woolwich – Woolwich Waves – represents a transformative moment for the community. Due to open January 2025, this state-of-the-art facility replaces the aging Waterfront Leisure Centre and is at the heart of a major regeneration scheme for the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
Residents even voted on the name: 66.3% chose Woolwich Waves in a public poll.
The 12,800 m², three-storey building — designed and built by Morgan Sindall Construction — will offer a range of modern facilities, including:
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A 25 m, 8-lane swimming pool
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A leisure pool with water slides / flumes
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A training (“learn to swim”) pool
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A health suite with sauna and steam room
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A two-floor gym, sports halls, a creche, soft play, party rooms, and more
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Café and accessible community spaces
This leisure centre isn’t just about recreation — it’s a key piece in the town’s broader regeneration, including the construction of 482 homes, public spaces, and a refurbished theatre.
The project was led by Faulkner Browns, who were the principal designers. We’ve also had the opportunity to present our CPD to their team, and they specify our solutions across all of their schemes.
Why the Changing Places Toilet Matters
As part of Woolwich Waves, Astor Bannerman is proud to have delivered two fully compliant Changing Places facilities, designed to provide dignity, space, and specialist equipment for people with complex needs.
One Changing Places room is located on the ground floor within the wet changing room area, and a second, identical facility is on the first floor within the dry changing area adjacent to the fitness suite.
Many leisure facilities fall short when it comes to accessibility. Ordinary accessible toilets are often not enough for people who require more space, specialised support, or equipment. Changing Places rooms are a vital part of creating truly inclusive public amenities — and in a major community hub like Woolwich Waves, they make a real difference.
What’s Inside: Our Specification
Within the Changing Places rooms at Woolwich Waves, we installed:
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Astor OT200 Ceiling Track Hoist — smooth, safe transfers across the room, giving carers and users peace of mind
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Astor Shower Trolley — provides flexible, ergonomic support for changing tasks
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Astor ABW-CP Wash Basin — accessible wash basin designed for users and carers
In addition, the rooms include full room coverage alarm system, grab rails, wide-access door, and clear signage, ensuring the facility is safe, functional, and welcoming.
Unique to this installation: two entrances / exits straight from the changing room to the poolside.
A Vision of Inclusive Regeneration
Woolwich Waves isn’t just another leisure centre. It’s a symbol of regeneration, but also of inclusion and equity. The Royal Borough of Greenwich has emphasised that this centre is central to its goals of improving health, tackling inequality, and future-proofing community infrastructure.
By integrating a high-quality Changing Places facility, Astor Bannerman helps ensure that people with disabilities or complex support needs are not an afterthought — they are integral to the design.
Building for the Future
One of the guiding principles behind Woolwich Waves is future-proofing. Even in early planning phases, Greenwich Council emphasised flexibility and long-term sustainability in its vision. The centre also embraces green design: solar panels on the roof will generate significant energy, helping to power the building, nearby residential projects, and the adjacent Tramshed Theatre. Royal Greenwich
In this context, the Changing Places toilets are more than accessible — they’re a part of a resilient, sustainable, community-centred facility built to serve generations.
Get In Touch
If you’re planning or retrofitting a facility and want to prioritise inclusivity, we’d love to help. Whether you’re an architect, developer, local authority, or access consultant, our team can support you through specification, installation, commissioning, and more.
Contact us to book a free CPD session or for expert advice on Changing Places and hygiene room design.
