St Albans City and District Council (SACDC) has earmarked £16.7m towards a new leisure centre in its corporate plan and budget for 2011-16. The funding will go towards the development of the new Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre, work on which is already underway ahead of a scheduled completion date in 2012. Cabinet members also approved investment for a new leisure facility at Cotlandswick, London Colney, as part of 'priority' plans

Stroud District Council (SDC) has announced that it is looking into the possibility of using food waste to power Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Gloucestershire. Following the council's cabinet meeting in January, proposals are being drawn up for a new anaerobic digester facility to convert household and commercial food waste into energy. One of the potential locations for the installation is at the rear of the leisure complex, which has an

Steiner Leisure is to be the exclusive operator of a new spa facility that is set to open at the refurbished Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Nevada, US. The operator has secured a 10-year agreement from the opening date of the facility, with an option to renew the deal for two five-year periods. Located on the Las Vegas Strip, the Tropicana is currently undergoing a major US180m (£112.8m)

The independently-owned Mere Golf and Country Club near Knutsford in Cheshire has launched a £4m day spa as part of a £15m rebrand. The club will be rebranded as simply The Mere and will be marketed as Cheshire's first five-star golf and spa resort. The Spa at The Mere will boast seven treatment rooms, a large indoor pool, hammam, rasul, a hydrotherapy area, an aroma steamroom, a caldarium and a

De Montfort University (DMU) has been given the green light to proceed with plans for a multi-million pound leisure centre development in Leicester. Leicester City Council granted planning permission for the scheme on 18 January, having already agreed to sell land off Duns Lane to the institution in August 2009. The S&P Architects-designed complex will feature a 25m, six-lane swimming pool; a gym and studio; an eight-court sports hall; and

Waverley Borough Council (WBC) has revealed that it has received a planning application for the construction of a new leisure centre in Godalming, Surrey. The proposed development is to be located on a site next to Godalming Lawn Tennis Club and will feature a 25m swimming pool and a learner pool. A 60-station fitness suite, a dance studio and a café are also incorporated into the design of the leisure

Plans for a new swimming pool in Bridgwater, Somerset, is set to move forward, with a report outlining the scheme's timetable due to before the local authority. Sedgemoor District Council's (SDC) executive will consider the report on 19 January, which sets out a timeframe for agreeing the design and construction of the facility. Enabling work has already commenced at the Chilton Trinity Technology College site as part of the Building

Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) unveiled the new-look Leatherhead Leisure Centre following the completion of a 20-month refurbishment. An open weekend will take place on 15-16 January to enable local residents to explore the facilities at the revamped venue, which was designed by A+G Architects. Volker Fitzpatrick carried out the improvements, which included the creation of a new 439sq m (4,725sq ft) fitness suite and aerobics studio. A soft play

Fresh Fitness has opened its first two clubs in Denmark, located in Copenhagen. The budget concept has been launched in Denmark as a joint venture between Just Fitness in Denmark - led by former CEO of fitnessdk, Rasmus Ingerslev - and Nordic market leader SATS. The two clubs - measuring 1,300sq m and 1,500sq m - offer gyms with around 100 pieces of equipment: refurbished Life Fitness CV kit and

East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) has submitted its plans for a new 'green' leisure centre in Ely. The Roberts Limbrick-designed scheme would provide a new district-wide facility and is poised to include a six-lane, 25m swimming pool and a six-court sports hall. A small children's leisure water area; an additional fitness area; family changing facilities; and a car park are also included as part of the planning application. The new

Waverley Borough Council (WBC) has unveiled plans for the development of a new leisure centre in Godalming, Surrey. ISG has been appointed to deliver the £6m facility, which has been designed by Pozzoni and will feature a 25m swimming pool and a learner pool. A gym; a dance studio; and a café are also proposed as part of the development, which will replace the town's existing facility. Energy efficient measures

Swan Leisure, a new Donnelly Turpin Architects-designed leisure centre in Rathmines, Dublin, has been officially unveiled by the local authority. John Paul Construction built the new complex on behalf of Dublin City Council, which forms part of the wider €36m (£30.5m) Rathmines Square development. Facilities include a 49-station gym equipped by Precor; a 25m x 12.5m swimming pool with moveable floor; a dance and fitness studio; and a meeting/spin studio.

Plans for the development of a new £3.5m swimming pool and spa at Ramsgate Sports Centre, Kent, have been given the green light by councillors. Thanet District Council (TDC) has approved the project, which will be carried out by the local authority in partnership with Alliance Leisure. A new building will be built next to the existing centre to house a six-lane, 25m deck level pool, a training pool and

Developers interested in building a new leisure facility at Cotlandswick, Hertfordshire, are to submit their final bids to the local authority by the end of this week. St Albans City and District Council (SACDC) aims to appoint a preferred contractor in March 2011, with plans submitted as early as May. Drivers Jonas Deloitte are leading the council's project management and design team for the scheme, along with the redevelopment of

Construction company Willmott Dixon has started preparatory work on the site of a new leisure centre for Rochdale, Greater Manchester. The main-build phase of the KKA-designed scheme is due to start in early 2011, with the ground to be prepared for the foundations over the coming weeks. Facilities will include an eight-lane, 25m swimming pool and learner pool with a moveable floor; a sports hall; thermal and fitness suites; and

Plans for a new £13.6m multi-purpose leisure facility to replace the fire-damaged Afan Lido venue in Port Talbot have been unveiled by the local authority. Neath Port Talbot Council (NPTC) confirmed that the leisure part of the proposed complex is to be run in partnership with Celtic Community Leisure. Facilities at the Holder Mathias Architects-designed centre will include a 25m swimming pool; a learner pool; a sports hall; a fitness

Club Elyspa in Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, has opened its doors. The site is regarded as the most exclusive wellness spa in North Africa and is owned by the Tunisian royal family. The clientele at the 1,395sq m club reads like a who's who of Tunisian high society, including politicians and music stars. No official figures are available but industry insiders estimate that the building, constructed using only high quality

Oxford University's plans for a major overhaul of its Iffley Road sports complex have been given the green light by Oxford City Council. FaulknerBrowns Architects are behind the design of the multi-million pound project, which is set to include the demolition of the existing grandstand. A lower grandstand will be built to accommodate an indoor cricket school, a projectiles range, spectator seating and changing rooms. Meanwhile, a one double-sized and

St Albans City and District Council (SACDC) is to seek a new preferred contractor for the demolition and reconstruction of Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre. Although no contracts had been signed with Michael McNamara & Co, the council had identified the company as its preferred option before it entered receivership. Drivers Jonas Deloitte has now been instructed to 'recalculate the financial scores' of original tenders for the scheme in order to

Plans for a new £10m sports arena on the site of a former fruit and vegetable market in Worcester are to be submitted by the University of Worcester (UW) next week. The Robert Limbrick Architects-designed Worcester Arena is designed to help drive up participation from grassroots to elite level across the region. Willmott Dixon has been appointed to work with consultants to develop the design of the 5,300sq m (57,049sq

Preparatory work has started on a multi-million pound scheme to revamp the Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre in St Albans, Hertfordshire. A number of buildings are to be demolished in order to make way for the S&P Architects-designed facility, with the main construction phase due to get underway in January. The new Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre, which is due for completion in summer 2012, will feature a 500sq m (5,382sq ft)

Health club operator énergie Group has completed the rebranding of nine Irish clubs that were acquired from Jackie Skelly Fitness earlier this year. More than EUR1.8m (£1.5m) has been spent on transforming the former Jackie Skelly estate, which includes two sites in Dublin - Ballsbridge and Clarendon Street. The other seven clubs are located in Ashbourne; Drogheda; Navan; Newbridge; Park West; Rathfarnham; and Swords. Among the changes is the implementation

Construction work is now underway on Nottingham's new £9m Victoria Leisure Centre, which has been designed by architects Levitate. Parts of the former facility, which shut on 1 April, have already been demolished in order to allow for the start of the construction phase. A six-lane, 25m family swimming pool with separate children's pool and fun splash play area will feature at the heart of the development, along with fitness

Hertfordshire-based Willmott Dixon has been appointed by Lewisham Council to deliver a new leisure centre in Forest Hill, South London. Work is due to commence on the Roberts Limbrick Architects-designed facility in January, which will replace the existing Forest Hill Pools and feature a 25m main pool. A 16.7m learner pool; a fitness gym; two studios; a community room; and a café will also form part of the centre -

Oxfordshire-based developer The Leadbitter Group has commenced work on the construction of a new £8m leisure complex in Dorchester, Dorset. Dorset County Council and West Dorset District Council (WDDC) are working in partnership on the scheme, which is scheduled for completion in 2012. Facilities at the Dyer-designed Dorchester Sports Centre will include a six-lane swimming pool with spectator gallery; a 60-station fitness suite; a dance studio; and a changing village.

Sedgemoor District Council (SDC) has 'reaffirmed' its plans to develop a swimming pool alongside the new Chilton Trinity School in Bridgwater, Somerset. Pressure group Bridgwater Forward had petitioned the council to scrap the current plans in order to investigate the possibility of building the new facility at the Northgate site. However, SDC has reiterated its plans to pursue the Chilton Trinity scheme in partnership with BAM Construction as part of

Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) has agreed to proceed with proposals for a £6m overhaul of the Aqua Vale Swimming and Fitness Centre in Aylesbury. FaulknerBrowns Architects has been appointed by the local authority to draw up the plans, which include a new on-site healthcare facility and new dry changing facilities. A new gym - double the size of the existing offer; a retractable roof for the outdoor pool and