The future of an 86-year-old public leisure centre has been secured after the local council pledged to invest £1m in upgrading the facility’s fitness offering.

Stokewood Leisure Centre in Bournemouth – originally called the Northwood Estate Swimming Baths – first opened in July 1930 housing the region’s first freshwater pool.

Despite its age, the centre remains a popular community hub and currently attracts more than 260,000 visits a year. The centre’s gym currently has 3,000 members and pay-as-you-go customers which clock up 85,000 visits and 52,000 studio sessions each year.

The gym space is now set to benefit from a £1m upgrade and new equipment supplied by Life Fitness after Bournemouth Borough Council (BBC) gave the works the green light.

The upgrade will see the gym expanded over two floors, creating more exercise space and functional fitness zones.

Additional group activity areas will also be created, allowing centre operator BH Live Active to provide classes targeting people with health issues and who are currently physically inactive.

Work is expected to begin later this year and will be complete by summer 2017.

John Beesley, leader of Bournemouth Council, said: "Stokewood Leisure Centre is a thriving and popular leisure hub for the community, and we are delighted to be improving and expanding the facilities in partnership with BH Live.

“The new space will benefit from environmentally friendly LED lighting, insulation and climate control. Natural daylight will improve ambience. Original features to be retained include a stained glass window and grand central staircase.”