Construction has begun on a £5m luxury spa at Boringdon Hall Hotel in the Plymouth suburb of Plympton thanks to the Growth, Acceleration and Investment Network (GAIN). The network was founded by Plymouth University, Plymouth City Council and Tamar Science Park to accelerate growth and investment in businesses to create wealth and jobs in the south west of England.

GAIN is a regional partnership of businesses and a grant of £151,000 from its Growth Fund has made the Gaia Spa – expected to generate 50 new jobs – development possible. The grant is one of 32 awards to businesses in the south west.

Due to open early in 2016, the Gaia Spa will offer guests of the 40-bedroom Boringdon Hall Hotel and day visitors access to 12 treatment rooms, a deep relaxation area, heat treatment facilities, a gym, 14m (46ft) swimming pool and a restaurant. The plans were approved in 2012.

The 1,700sq m (18,299sq ft) spa will use the hotel’s own in-house brand of natural products for treatments, according to local media.

Owned and operated by the Nettleton Group, co-director Diane Nettleton said: “The Gaia Spa will be a destination spa for Plymouth, bringing visitors from across the UK to the area, as well as offering luxurious facilities to local people.

“When we bought Boringdon Hall four years ago, we had ambitions to create a spa – building on our experience of successfully running the Fistral Beach Hotel and Spa in Newquay,” added Nettleton.

The Nettleton Group also owns the Esplanade Hotel, another hospitality business located in Newquay.