St Albans City and District Council's (SACDC) bid to secure a £500,000 cash injection towards the new multi-million pound Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre development has moved to the next stage.

The local authority is now set to submit further details to support its funding bid as part of the government's Free Swimming Capital Modernisation Programme, administered by Sport England. An initial 173 applications from across the UK were made to Sport England to receive a share of the £10m funding earmarked by the government, with the St Albans project named as one of only 45 to move onto the second stage of the process.

When complete, the new Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre will include a 200-station fitness suite with a cycle spinning studio, a regional competition-sized 25m swimming pool, a 17m learner pool and a four-court sports hall. Two exercise studios, a climbing wall, a spa area, a crèche and soft play area, a youth facility and a standalone café/bistro also form part of the plans, which are expected to be submitted to SACDC planners by the end of January.

Sheila Burton, SACDC portfolio holder for health living, said: "The new Westminster Lodge pool has been planned to optimise its use as a community pool that will encourage more and more people into swimming and activity." Scheduled to open by the end of 2012, the development proposals have been drawn up by a design team comprising Drivers Jonas, S&P Architects, landscape architects CBA and consultants Strategic Leisure.

Engineering firms Van Zyl and De Villers and Cundall have also been involved with the scheme, as well as Davis Langdon.