A MULTI-MILLON pound leisure centre in Hampshire is to become a regional netball venue.

The £25 million Places Leisure Eastleigh, which will replace Fleming Park Leisure Centre, will be the south of England base of the England Netball, the national governing body of the game.

The organisation has donated £90,000 towards the construction of the new facility and their members will be regular users of the sports hall and fitness facilities.

Charlotte Malyon, England Netball’s capital investment and facilities manager, said: “This vast and much improved facility is going to be the south coast centre for netball development. We don’t have a facility like this in the south region.”

As previously reported by the Daily Echo, the new centre is located next to the building of the old Fleming Park Leisure Centre and has been developed by Eastleigh Borough Council.

The state-of-the art facility, co-funded by Sport England, who contributed £2 million to the scheme, will feature a giant sports hall – believed to be the third biggest in the country – that will house 15 badminton courts.

An eight-lane pool has also been created on the ground floor near a learner pool with a floor depth that can be altered.

The centre will also have a 150-station gym, a ballet studio, a spin studio, a crèche, a soft play area incorporating party rooms and a café with outside seats.

Local netball and leagues will also be using the centre.

Chris Granger, who is chair of Hampshire Netball Association, said: “It is amazing, absolutely breath-taking... can’t wait to get our groups in to use it!”

As previously reported, the centre will open by the end of this year and an official opening date is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

The staff who used to work at Fleming Park Leisure Centre will be relocated to Places Leisure Eastleigh.