Tower Hamlets is celebrating a £432,716 investment to refurbish and upgrade its football pitches at Mile End – part of the council’s wider programme to enhance leisure facilities for residents across the borough.
The refurbishment includes a new and improved sub-base for older pitches, installation of shock pads across all pitches for safer play, brand-new, high-quality artificial turf, stronger fencing, new kickboards, upgraded security systems and brand-new goalposts.
The newly refurbished pitches are now open for bookings, managed by PlayFootball and available through their website.
To mark the reopening, Executive Mayor Lutfur Rahman and Cllr Mohammed Kamrul Hussain, Cabinet Member for Culture and Recreation, officially unveiled the new pitches alongside local community groups.
This investment will deliver safer, more enjoyable playing conditions for people of all ages and create spaces for grassroots football, to support residents with staying active and finding community ties through sport.
Further upgrades across Tower Hamlets
The Mile End pitches investment is part of a wider programme of improvements to leisure facilities across the borough. Current and upcoming projects include:
- A major boiler system upgrade at John Orwell Sports Centre (September-December 2025) to improve heating and hot water.
- A similar boiler replacement scheduled for York Hall.
- Revamping of the multi-courts at Mile End with new fencing and resurfacing.
- Planned improvements to health suites at Mile End and Whitechapel later this year.
These ongoing investments demonstrate Tower Hamlets’ commitment to modern, sustainable and inclusive leisure facilities that residents can be proud of.
Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said:
“After we brought the leisure centres back into public hands, we've been able to introduce record levels of investment in sport, wellbeing and leisure across Tower Hamlets, including upgrading these fantastic new football pitches at Mile End.
"Grassroots football and community sport play a vital role in bringing people together, supporting healthier lifestyles and creating opportunities for young people.
"These pitches we are unveiling today reflect our commitment to giving residents the very best local sports facilities and I’m proud that we are delivering modern, high-quality spaces that everyone in Tower Hamlets can enjoy.”
Cllr Mohammed Kamrul Hussain, Cabinet Member for Culture and Recreation, said:
“We’re not stopping at the pitches – with upgrades underway at John Orwell’s boiler plant and Mile End’s multi-courts – with further planned across York Hall and Whitechapel, we’re making lasting improvements across the borough.
“These projects ensure our residents have access to modern, safe and inclusive facilities that will serve the community for many years to come.”
To book a football pitch at Mile End, visit the PlayFootball website, where you can check availability, pricing and choose from a range of pitch options.
Posted on Tuesday 21st October 2025