Mid Beds District Council has agreed to invest £3.06m into the development of a new leisure centre in Stotfold - a substantial part of the £9.8m needed for the project to go ahead.

The development, headed by Stotfold Town Council, will be built on a 24-acre site currently owned by Bedfordshire County Council which has committed to sell the land for the purpose of the facility. Management contractors Stevenage Leisure will run the centre.

When complete, the centre will include a four badminton court sports hall, a multi-purpose hall, fitness suite, squash court and 25m shooting range.

There will also be a floodlit synthetic football pitch, a synthetic cricket wicket, outdoor performance area, four mini football pitches and three full-sized pitches, which will provide training facilities for Stotfold Football Club.

"Stotfold, is now growing at a rapid rate, with new developments built and planned for the future. It is therefore essential that residents are provided with improved and increased facilities to help swallow the sometimes bitter pill of development and to cater for the swelling population."

The town council will need to secure the remaining £6.74m for the project to commence. So far, £276,000 has been reserved from the Fairfield property development and the council hopes further £1,141,360 will be obtained from developers who are working on projects throughout Stotfold.

Stotfold Town Council anticipates it will soon submit a planning application for the facility. If successful, work could begin as early as autumn 2008 and be open late 2009.