COUNCIL chiefs are looking to pump more than £500,000 into upgrading the Dolphin Centre in Darlington.

Last year an Audit Commission report criticised the local authority, saying facilities were lacking and particularly criticising outdoor sports areas.

The council has since devised a sports and recreation strategy aimed at improvements, including the refurbishment of the Dolphin Centre, which attracts 1.2m people a year.

Councillors were due to be briefed on the proposed improvements and asked to allocate £132,000 towards the scheme at a full council meeting last night.

The improvements include the conversion of the projectile hall into a soft play and sensory provision area for use by families seven days a week.

Changing facilities would be updated to form a changing village and a centrally-placed caf and bar area would be created to replace the current facilities.

The existing cafeteria might be turned into a conference and meeting area.

Other plans include refurbishment of the reception area to deal with the problems of queues and access to the building.

Eleanor Lister, council member for leisure, said: "Any improvement at the Dolphin Centre will be a welcome boost to our already strong services."

The council is concerned that without investment, the centre will struggle to compete against more modern facilities, both in the public and private sectors.

Problems and suggestions identified during an inspection of leisure provision in the town will also be addressed as well as issues raised by customers.

The curly water slide, closed for health and safety reasons, will be replaced after the summer holidays.