A climbing facility will form the centrepiece of a £850,000 (US$1.1m, €969,100) makeover at Portsmouth’s Mountbatten Leisure Centre, as it looks to attract a younger audience.

The clip and climb activity wall is part of renovations that will also see the creation of a soft play area for under-fives, as well as improvements to the reception, café and events spaces.

BH Live, which runs the facility on behalf of Portsmouth City Council, projects around 15,000 new customer visits per year following the improvements.

“In broadening the activity programme through new attractions, we hope more local residents, including families and young people, will be encouraged to visit and get more active,” said Peter Gunn, BH Live’s chief executive.

The operator, which took over management of the centre in February, recently introduced family membership and weekly children’s classes including an athletics academy, cardio fit, boxing and dance.

It also offers free swimming for under-12s, and gymnastics and tennis programmes.