Work has begun this week on Coalville's new multi-million-pound, state-of-the-art leisure centre.

And it has been predicted it will be one of the best leisure facilities in the country when it is completed.

The North West Leicestershire District Council project is aimed at seeing the health and wellbeing offer for people in Coalville and the surrounding district vastly improved by the new facility which is due for completion in late 2022.

The plans for the new centre will see the land turned into a parkland leisure destination, including a trim trail with activity stations, pedestrian and cycle access from Hermitage Recreation Ground and Stephenson College, and a ropes course within the woodland.

The centre itself will include:

• Eight lane 25 metre main pool, learner pool with moveable floor

• 120 station gym, 25 spin cycles and two exercise studios

• Café with healthy eating options

• Eight court sports hall and three squash courts

• Changing Places facility accessible from the lobby

•Clip 'n' Climb

•Sauna, steam and spa pool

•250 car spaces.

Once complete, the new centre will be managed by the district council's leisure partner Everyone Active.

The company currently manages both Hermitage Leisure Centre in Whitwick and Hood Park Leisure Centre in Ashby.

North West Leicestershire District Council has worked closely with Leicestershire County Council throughout the planning process of the new centre and in establishing entry to the site from the road network.

Construction company Metnor will be responsible for building the new centre.

The centre will cost £22.5million with the current Hermitage Leisure Centre remaining open until the completion of the new facility.

The council says that build itself will have a positive social value impact with a number of key targets set out to help the local economy.

These include engaging 40 local companies with the project and ensuring that more than 60 per cent of the build material is sourced from inside the district.

Through engagement with local schools and colleges, several work experience opportunities will be created and more than 200 schoolchildren will be invited to visit the site during the build.

Meanwhile in Ashby, Hood Park Leisure Centre has also enjoyed a £1m renovation in recent months which includes a newly refurbished gym and fitness suite, along with improvements to the exterior of the building.

Councillor Richard Blunt, Leader of North West Leicestershire District Council, said: "This is a proud moment for the district and for Coalville especially.

"This leisure centre in the culmination of years of hard work from both the district council and our partners as we strive to achieve our ambition of providing top quality health and wellbeing facilities for people in North West Leicestershire.

"By 2022 Coalville with have one of the best leisure facilities in the country.

"North West Leicestershire is a green and active district - this must continue and be built upon for the generations to come.

"This leisure centre is a testament to that ambition and, once complete, will benefit thousands of local people for years to come."

Dan Hicks, Area Manager from Everyone Active said: "This is an exciting project for us to be a part of and it's fantastic to see it get underway.

"The centre has all the benefits of state-of-the-art facilities within an attractive parkland location and will go a long way to getting the local community more active. We look forward to the project development and seeing the centre brought to life."

Councillor Nick Rushton, Leader of Leicestershire County Council, said: "We have been working closely with North West Leicestershire District Council on a number of schemes that will help deliver their aspirations of transforming Coalville.

"These leisure centre plans are another step forward to realising their goals and our aims to tackle climate change by encouraging more walking and cycling and becoming carbon neutral by 2030."

Chris Johnson, Contract Manager for Metnor Constructionsaid: "We are delighted to have been awarded principle contractor, our fifth newbuild leisure centre with Everyone Active.  

"We are pleased to be collaborating with both the Council and Everyone Active to bring this high quality facility to the heart of the community."