Selby District Council has announced plans to rebuild the town's Abbey Leisure Centre to deliver new fitness and swimming facilities.

Instead of refurbishing the existing building, the council and Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust have decided to start from scratch and deliver a new building that will bring the centre into the 21st century with updated facilities.

The development will include a 25m six-lane swimming pool.

An options report by project managers Turner & Townsend indicated that the total project could be in the region of £9m.

The council is looking to reduce this capital cost significantly and is seeking to maximise the grant available from Sport England. It is also exploring new energy efficient systems to reduce the running costs of the centre.

Leader of the council Mark Crane said: "This will take time, but this is what we need to do to deliver first-class leisure facilities.

"It'll be a real focus for the community and will help to revitalise leisure provision in the area. This doesn't just benefit Selby town; having this new facility on the doorstep will benefit people from across the district. It will be a real draw for the area."

The development is expected to take 30 months to complete.