Work has begun on new £13.6 million leisure centre for East Cambridgeshire, which is set to open to the public next year.

The leisure centre, which is being built by contractor Pellikaan, will include an eight-lane 25m swimming pool, a learner pool with moveable floor, a 120-station gym floor, two activity studios and a four-court sports hall, as well as an outside 3G artificial grass pitch.

Paul Robertson, senior project manager for MACE, said: “We understand how significant a milestone this is for the people of East Cambridgeshire. This has been a project which we have been proud to work on through the design stage and are now excited to see the first spade in the ground in constructing a high quality leisure centre for the community.

“We have visited a number of leisure centres delivered by Pellikaan and are confident that the right contractor has been selected to deliver your new leisure facility.”

Chairman of the commercial services committee for East Cambridgeshire District Council, Councillor Richard Hobbs, said: “This is a poignant step in the development of the leisure centre and I am thrilled that work is now underway.”

The project has been funded by East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) with the help of a £1.5m Lottery grant from Sport England.

The centre will replace the Paradise Centre Pools on Newnham Street.