Thanet District Council (TDC) and leisure trust, Your Leisure, officially opened a new £4.1m swim centre on 1 August as part of the development of the Ramsgate Sports Centre in Kent.

The Ramsgate Swim Centre will be operated by Your Leisure and includes a 25-metre pool, spa facilities and a Feel Good Factory toning studio.

Your Leisure acquired development funds for the scheme through private sector partner Alliance Leisure. It plans to repay the money over time through increased commercial opportunities brought about by the new spa facility, while also making savings in other operating departments – ensuring no additional cost to TDC.

The centre is adjoined to the existing Your Leisure-operated Ramsgate Leisure Centre to create one encompassing facility, with the development undertaken by ISG over a 13-month period.

The new development sees the introduction of the 25-metre swimming pool, as well as a smaller pool for children. There will also be an expanded Swim School and lesson programme available.

The spa facility, called Your Spa, is a purpose-built luxury wellness environment which includes thermal experiences, a hydro spa pool and four treatment rooms. The centre also includes the Feel Good Factory toning suite, featuring 12 stations. Updates have been provided in the existing fitness suite, while a new cafe has been added and changing rooms modernised.

Paul Cluett, commercial director of Alliance Leisure says: "Alliance's approach in Ramsgate was to replace a non-viable facility, while redeveloping the council's better building stock with a focus on creating new revenue streams and lowering running costs. The success of this project shows how services can be retained and improved without increasing revenue demands on cash-strapped councils.

"There are 100 standalone swimming pools in the UK which are near the end of their useful life. Many are near to dry sports centres and in such cases, councils could benefit from refreshing and rejuvenating their facility portfolios using this approach."