WORK on the leisure centre and new secondary school in Consett has been officially completed with the formal handover of the keys to the new building.

Contractors Carillion have carried out the £44m regeneration project for Durham County Council, bringing state-of-the-art leisure and education facilities to the town.

The new sports centre, owned by Durham County Council and operated by Leisureworks, includes two new swimming pools, a gym, three exercise studios, three glass-backed squash courts and an eight-court sports hall for badminton, football and other indoor sports.

Outside facilities include a 4G pitch and multi-use games area for netball, football, basketball and other sports.

An outdoor sprint track will open at a later date.

Councillor Maria Plews, cabinet member for leisure, libraries and lifelong learning at Durham County Council, said: “We are absolutely delighted with our new leisure centre, which provides first class facilities for the people of Consett.”

The phased opening of the new leisure centre has begun with the gym and will be followed by a limited timetable of adult fitness classes from Monday and a reduced swimming timetable next Saturday and Sunday.

The new Consett Academy campus will open at the start of the new school year in September.

Cllr Ossie Johnson, cabinet member for children and young people at Durham County Council, said: “The completion of the new Consett Academy building marks an important milestone in our ambitious aims for young people and the wider community.

“These new educational facilities will transform teaching and learning and will bring significant benefits to the academy students.”

Kevin Reynolds, principal of Consett Academy, added: “This new multi-million pound building is so much more than a new building. It is a forward thinking statement of a new vision for education in Consett.”