A decision on the future of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre’s 50-metre and diving pools is expected within weeks, according to reports.

The facilities have been closed since March 2020, when a structural issue with the 60-year-old listed building was identified.

A leak in the pool was traced to a cracked underwater window, ITV reports.

A petition calling on the Mayor to fund the reopening of the facilities has already been signed more than 30,000 times.

Sadiq Khan said: "I'm hoping over the course of the next few weeks to give an open date."

"It's been delayed of course by the pandemic which slowed some of the work.

“Clearly we can't reopen the pool and the centre if there are any concerns about safety.”

A full refurbishment of the listed building, opened in 1964, is thought to cost £33m.

Swim England has thrown its weight behind the petitioners, stressing the importance of the sports centre, which is one of just two facilities in London that caters for elite swimmers, divers, and water polo players.

Ellie Reeves, MP for Lewisham and Penge East, also wrote to the Sadiq Khan expressing her disappointment at the lack of a target reopening date, describing the issue as a “major concern”.

She has called for the Mayor to secure funding for repairs and commit to the long-term future of the 50m pool and listed building that houses it.

Since the closure, Greenwich Leisure Limited, which runs the centre, has been working with the Greater London Authority to find a solution.

The costs and level of repair work required were said to be significantly more than expected, due to unforeseen scale and complexity.

In March, the Mayor approved expenditure of up to £550,000 in order to carry out essential maintenance work at the National Sports Centre over the next two years, including work to the stadium.

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