£36m of funding has been secured to transform Rotherham’s sporting and leisure facilities.

The sum includes a £20m government cash injection, a £3.8m grant from the National Lottery’s New Opportunities Fund, and a £3m contribution from the local council.

The rest – around £9m – will be raised through a public private partnership agreement.

Proposed improvements to the town’s sporting facilities include a new town centre pool and three other swimming centres – at Wath, Maltby and Aston.

Rotherham borough council has announced that it intends to replace its existing network of 10 swimming pools with the new facilities by the end of 2007.

As part of the plans, it also aims to completely renovate the Herrignthorpe leisure centre – built in the 1970s – while bringing the Space for Sport & Arts Facilities scheme into operation in five primary schools.

The detailed plans for Herringthorpe leisure centre include floodlit 5-a-side football pitches, two sports halls with squash and badminton courts and a large health and fitness suite.

The extensive plans, approved by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, will also see sports halls at six other secondary schools made accessible to the public.

Richard Caborn, minister for sport, said: “The redevelopment of the swimming pool network in Rotherham will make a massive difference to the area, giving people easy access to 21st century facilities on their doorstep.

“I look forward to seeing the new pools having an impact on all three counts in the near future.”