Caerphilly County Borough Council has proposed the development of a new £10.5m leisure centre to replace the ageing Caerphilly Leisure Centre, which needs almost £1m of priority maintenance work.

The council has acknowledged that the development of a modern sports facility is important, since inactivity is recognised as a key contributory factor to poor health in the county borough.

Caerphilly Leisure Centre is one of the busiest in the county borough, with 285,000 visits a year, however, it is 40 years old with poor energy credentials.

The new centre is proposed for the St Ilan school site and will comprise a swimming pool, all weather surface, running track and tennis courts or multi-games area.

It will be funded by £3m from the new school budget and £7.5m will come from prudential borrowing.

The council wants to get the proposal agreed in the February budget, with a view to having the site up and running by 2015.