Knaresborough's new leisure centre to open before Christmas

The new Knaresborough Leisure Centre replaces the town's old swimming pool building

A North Yorkshire town's long-awaited new leisure centre will finally open its doors on 11 December.

Knaresborough's £17.6m Leisure and Wellness Centre had been due to open in the summer as a replacement for the now-closed Knaresborough Pool.

But its opening had been delayed because of issues with the new electrical supply to the building.

North Yorkshire Council said the facility would be "a perfect Christmas gift for the town".

The new centre includes a six-lane 25-metre pool, a leisure pool with flume and a 60-station fitness suite.

There is also a studio for group fitness classes, a group cycling studio, sauna and steam rooms, a cafe and an outdoor children's play area.

It has been built in King James Road next to the old Knaresborough Pool, which was constructed in 1990 and closed earlier this year.

North Yorkshire Council had originally planned to keep the old pool open until the new leisure centre was finished.

However, when construction work was hit by delays and rising costs, the authority decided to save money by closing the older venue before the new one opened.

'Help people live well'

Executive member for culture and leisure, Councillor Simon Myers, said: "I am delighted that we have an opening date for this exciting new leisure provision for Knaresborough.

"The local community had long outgrown the old pool - there was a call for fitness provision as well as spaces for classes and post-workout relaxation spaces.

"By shifting the service offer from conventional swimming pool provision to a community health and wellbeing service we aim to help people move more, live well, feel great and reduce the proportion of the population that is physically inactive."

The project forms part of a wider £47.9m investment in leisure provision in North Yorkshire, including the recently-completed refurbishment of Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon.

All the centres are managed by Brimhams Active, the council's health and wellbeing company.