Graham Construction has been awarded a £15.3m contract to build a new sports and leisure complex in Kirkcaldy, which is scheduled to open its doors to the public in summer 2013.

Fife Council and Fife Sports and Leisure Trust are leading the scheme, which will see a new building offer a 25m, six-lane swimming pool with spectator seating for 90 people.

A training pool with moveable floor; accessible wetside changing areas; a health suite with a sauna and steamroom; and a 60-station fitness suite will be among the centre's facilities.

Elsewhere, a purpose-built aerobics studio; a four-court sports hall; a children's play centre; and a meeting room will also form part of the new centre.

The project forms part of a wider £55m investment in new leisure facilities across the region and it is expected that the Kirkcaldy venue will attract 200,000 visits each year.

Alice Soper, chair of Fife Council's Kirkcaldy Area Committee, said: "Kirkcaldy's new sports and leisure centre will provide more than just a pool for town.

"There will be a wealth of dry side facilities for the first time ever and it will be an iconic building with unrivalled views of the waterfront."

Work is scheduled to commence in November.