A £10.5m leisure centre refurbishment project is nearing completion with the swimming pool and gym due to open in the first week of 2017.

The new pool hall at Perdiswell Leisure Centre has taken 13 months to complete and is the centrepiece of a major extension and refurbishment of the leisure centre in Worcester.

The eight-lane 25-metre main pool will boast poolside seating for 284 spectators with a further 116 seats around the poolside for swimmers. The pool hall will also have an 18x10-metre teaching pool with a movable floor.

The pool has been built by developer Speller Metcalfe and will be operated by Freedom Leisure, which has a 10-year contract to manage Worcester City Council’s sport and leisure centres.

Wider refurbishment of the leisure centre is also nearing completion, with a 110-station gym, 25-bike spin studio and three fitness studios also set to open in January.

The centre will also have an eight-court sports hall with seating for 100 spectators and two teaching rooms. Full completion of the project is expected to be in March.

Sport England has supported the scheme with £2m in funding from its Strategic Facilities Fund, devoted to supporting facilities in key areas to get more people to play sport.