A roller derby team from north-west London may lose its home following Brent Council’s approval to close a community center.
The Bridge Park Community Centre in Stonebridge is slated to close on July 31, pending final government approval. Once the largest Black-led community initiative in Europe, the center currently serves various community organizations, including the London Roller Derby team, which has practiced there bi-weekly for two decades.
The location is set to be redeveloped as part of a £600 million investment initiative that will introduce new housing, a hotel, recreational park, and leisure facilities to the neighborhood.
The council expressed that this decision was made “with regret,” explaining that the expense of repairing the structure was prohibitively high and that its deteriorating condition posed a “significant risk of equipment failure.”
While the cabinet considered extending the center’s operational timeline, they ultimately determined that the associated risks and costs were too substantial.
In the 2024/25 fiscal year, the center generated nearly £500,000 less than anticipated.
Roller derby is a fast-paced, full-contact sport played on roller skates, where two teams compete by racing and blocking one another on an oval track.
During the council’s cabinet meeting where the decision was made, a London Roller Derby team member, speaking under her alter-ego Vengeance, stated that the team’s members would be left “homeless” if the community center closes, according to reports from The Local Democracy Reporting Service.
“Our skaters are incredible. We will continue to train vigorously for the World Cup in July. Until you close the doors, we will keep practicing with all our hearts at Bridge Park,” she emphasized.
Neil Nerva, the council’s cabinet member for leisure, indicated that the option to repair the building was not financially viable and questioned whether it could even be accomplished.
The Harlesden People’s Community Council (HPCC), which initiated the Save Bridge Park campaign, aims to maintain the center as an essential community resource and cultural icon.
Historic England is currently evaluating the application, with a final ruling expected this summer.
The council has expressed a willingness to collaborate with the roller derby team to locate a new venue. However, the new leisure center is not anticipated to open until 2030.
