It is bordered by River Lee Navigation to the east, Pickett's Lock Lane to the south, Meridian Way A1055 to the west and the Ponders End industrial area to the north.

During the twentieth century the land was used for sand and gravel extraction[1] which helped to form the waters known as the Blue Lakes.

It was described in the Buildings of England as being "three large white functional boxes arranged around a central swimming pool, linked by generous circulation areas.

One of the earliest international events held at the centre was the first World Age Group Trampoline Championships which were organised by Ted Blake.

The proposed stadium had a capacity of 43,000 and an original cost of £87m and included new training facilities for athletes as part of the design for the High Performance Centre.