Cherwell Leisure – a wholly owned subsidiary of Parkwood Project Management – is set to modernise sports centres in Banbury, Bicester and Kidlington.

A £24m investment by Cherwell District Council will create a new Spiceball Park Sports Centre in Banbury and modernise and improve facilities at the existing Kidlington and Gosford Sports Centre and Bicester and Ploughley Sports Centre.

Cllr Norman Bolster, portfolio holder for recreation at the council, said: “Cherwell Leisure was selected as the preferred bidder for the three sports centres because it met the criteria set by the council for designing, building and managing the centres for the next 25 years.”

Moss Construction will undertake the construction work, while Burke Rickhards Architects will lead the design team.

Jeremy Lightfoot, managing director of Parkwood, which will provide full management services at the sites, said: “The new facilities will be completed by summer 2009.”