Construction of a £13m leisure arena in Middleton, near Rochdale will start early this year after the supermarket giant Tesco committed to delivering the centre before building a store nearby.

The 7,300sq m (78,600sq ft) facility, to be known as Middleton Arena, will include two swimming pools, a sports hall, dance studios, squash courts and a gym.

The scheme has been spearheaded by the Rochdale Development Agency and Rochdale Council.

The news that work on the project – which has been the subject of negotiations and public consultations for two years – can finally begin has been welcomed by the chair of the Middleton Township Committee, Ian Robertson.

“This is a major step forward in replacing outdated buildings that are costly to run with new, modern amenities, which will be attractive to local people of all ages, as well as being environmentally efficient,” he said.

The work on the centre, to be undertaken by Barr Construction, is expected to take around 15-18 months.