New Knaresborough leisure centre to open

The new centre is to open as a replacement for Knaresborough Pool

A new multi-million pound leisure centre featuring a pool, fitness studio and outdoor children's play area is due to open in North Yorkshire.

Knaresborough's £17.6m Leisure and Wellness Centre is expected to open later as a replacement for the now-closed Knaresborough Pool.

The venue was due to open in the summer but was delayed because of issues with the new electrical supply to the site.

Councillor Simon Myers said he "looked forward" to welcoming people in.

A six-lane 25m (82ft) pool has been built as part of the project

The new centre includes a six-lane 25m (82ft) 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.

The building has also been designed to be more energy efficient than the previous centre and the council said the site's carbon emissions would be 60% lower.

Councillor Simon Myers, left, met with Mark Tweedie from Brimhams Active at the new centre

Mr Myers, the council's executive member for culture and leisure, said: "By moving the service offer from being a conventional swimming pool 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 centre will be run by Brimhams Active, the council's health and wellbeing company.

Mark Tweedie, chief executive at the firm, said he was "looking forward to working with my team to bring these facilities to life".