North west-based health and fitness club operator FX Leisure is to begin work on a new £2.5m site in Congleton, Cheshire.

The 15,000sq ft (1,400sq m) club will feature an 85-station gym, an 18m swimming pool, a cycle FX studio and a group exercise studio, a sauna, steamroom and spa, a hair and beauty salon and a licensed café-bar.

The building contract has been awarded to Medlock Projects and the club is scheduled to open in April next year. A membership office will open on site in January, aiming to ultimately attract 3,000 members to the club.

FX Leisure was formed six years ago by Stuart, Andy and Alan Taylor and currently operates four clubs with a total of 9,000 members in Blackpool, Wigan, Warrington and Stalybridge.

The clubs in Warrington and Wigan are supplied by Technogym and those in Blackpool and Stalybridge by Life Fitness, but the equipment contract for the Congleton club has yet to be awarded.

Founder Stuart Taylor said the company plans to continue expanding.

“FX Leisure is a growing chain and we have plans for several more clubs which are at various stages of development,” he said.

“We intend to continue to develop in the north west where, despite strong competition, we believe our model can perform extremely well, as well as securing sites throughout the rest of the country.

"Financially, FX Leisure is very strong, with half yearly results on target to produce a 40 per cent return on sales.”