Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council (RCBC) has moved forward with efforts to offload the site of the town's existing leisure centre at Majuba Road and Lobster Road.

It comes as specialist drilling machinery returns to the site of a replacement facility, which is being built as part of a new £31m leisure, business support and community complex.

Members of the council's cabinet resolved to proceed with a marketing process detailed in a report put before a meeting on 31 July as part of efforts to generate £11.3m over five years.

The report said: "The site would become surplus to operational requirements in December 2013, when the Redcar Leisure and Community Heart is complete.

"The asset will no longer directly support our priorities and at this point it is intended to demolish the building. The site will then be released for disposal."

• Meanwhile, the specialist drilling machinery now at the site of the new Redcar Leisure and Community Heart will be used to create the foundations for the building.

Willmott Dixon has been appointed to build the new complex, which has been designed by leisure specialists S&P Architects in collaboration with Plus3 Architecture.

Once complete, it will house a six-lane, 25m swimming pool; a fitness suite and junior gym; a dance hall and performance space; and a sports hall among other facilities.

Click here for the report put before the RCBC cabinet meeting and click here for more information about work on the new leisure complex.