A LEISURE centre has undergone a £300,000 revamp, with improved changing rooms, swimming pool system and football pitch.

Work on Bedale Leisure Centre, North Yorkshire, started earlier this year with a £109,000 programme to refurbish the toilets and changing rooms by Hambleton District Council.

A further £69,000 was spent on a new filtration system for the swimming pool to improve efficiency and water quality.

And in the final phase a new "3G" surface was laid on the floodlit pitch. This was carried out with the help of funding from the Football Foundation which contributed £50,000 on top of Hambleton Council’s investment of £80,000.

“We are investing in all our centres to ensure they remain top class facilities,” said council chairman John Prest.

“The grant secured for Bedale also enabled us to re-vamp the floodlit pitch, creating a top class facility for the local community.

"It will improve sport at grassroots level, as well as our links with local clubs and schools. We are very grateful to the Premier League and FA Facilities Fund. Without them this would not have been possible.”

Len Scott, chairman of the North Riding County Football Association, added: “It’s great to see investment from the Football Foundation into rural projects. We have loads of girls and boys out there with massive potential, facilities such as this can only help to improve them as footballers.”