Plans to revamp Outdoor Sports Centre in Southampton

The initial plans to improve the Outdoor Sports Centre in Southampton have been approved

A sports centre is to be revamped under "the most significant investment" since its opening in the 1930s.

New football pitches, covered tennis and netball courts and an outdoor gym are among the new facilities that could be built at the Outdoor Sports Centre in Southampton.

They are all part of the initial proposals approved by Southampton City Council.

But detailed plans are expected to be unveiled later this year.

If approved, work could start as early as this autumn.

Ski lodge

The decision to revamp the site comes as hundreds of residents backed the move following a public consultation.

The initial proposals also include a new ski lodge and a hub with changing facilities, a gym and a café.

The exact cost of the scheme is yet to be confirmed, but the authority previously said it had allocated £16.85m towards the project.

Councillor John Hannides, cabinet member for finance and capital assets, described the investment as the "most significant" since the opening of the sports centre in 1938.

A planning application with details of the scheme is expected to be submitted to the city council in the coming months.

Other work to improve the bike park and woodland trail is set to start this spring.