Work has begun on the Spiceball Park Sports Centre in Banbury.

Scheduled to take 19 months to complete, the new centre will replace an existing sports park on the site.

Facilities at the new centre will include a six-lane, 25m swimming pool with spectator viewing, a training pool with movable floor, eight-court sports hall, two squash courts, a 150-station health and fitness club with an exercise room and a health suite complete with sauna, steam room and treatment rooms.

The development is part of a £24m investment by Cherwell District Council into the region’s sport facilities.

Plans also include the redevelopments of the Kidlington and Gosford Sports Centre and Bicester and Ploughley Sports Centre.

Moss Construction has been appointed to undertake the construction work, while Burke Rickhards Architects will lead the design team.

Spiceball Park Sports Centre will be operated by Cherwell Leisure – a wholly owned subsidiary of Parkwood Project Management.