Erdington Leisure centre in Birmingham will open to the public today (4 September) as part of Birmingham City Council’s (BCC) £40m investment programme in the city’s ageing leisure centre stock.

The new £7.5m centre features a 25m swimming pool, teaching pool and a health club with a 70-station gym floor and group exercise space. The centre has been designed to offer a wide range of fitness classes.

Erdington is the first of four new complexes to be completed as part of the £40m BCC investment.

Two other, existing centres in Stechford and Northfield will be replaced by new facilities, while one entirely new centre will be built in Icknield Port Loop in Edgbaston.

All centres will be managed by Birmingham Community Leisure Trust (BCLT) on behalf of the council – with the Erdington centre being operated in partnership with Serco Leisure.

Designed by Calderpeel Architects and built by ISG Construction, the Erdington site took just 12 months to complete.

BCLT Chair, Brian Taylor, said: “The transformation of this Erdington site since we stood here last summer is truly impressive.

“I‘m very proud to hand over such a high quality, purpose built facility to our community and I invite everyone, whatever their age and whatever sport they enjoy, to take the opportunity to come and use this brilliant new centre.”