PLANS to improve Waterside Farm Leisure Centre have been given a massive cash boost.

Castle Point Council has more than tripled its investment in the ageing facility, in Somnes Avenue, Canvey.

It has set aside £4million for major refurbishment work, compared with the £1.3million it planned to invest in 2010.

The Seventies-built facility needs urgent repairs and the renovation would see a new open-plan glass entrance area, interior redecoration, redesigned changing rooms, and the old pool bar would be turned into a conference and community hall.

The work will also involve an overhaul of the centre’s heating system and pipework, relining of the swimming pool, and a new artificial turf pitch on the field outside the centre.

It is hoped the revamp would allow the leisure centre to stay open for at least another 20 years.

Pam Challis, leader of Castle Point Council, said: “This is absolutely amazing news from our point of view.

“We have already been able to enhance the facilities at Runnymede pool, so it is important we are able to do the same for the centre on Canvey. It is an extremely popular venue.

“I have been a councillor for more than 20 years and being able to commit this amount of money to a project like this is the best part of this job.”

A large amount of the extra funding has been achieved through the council’s stringent cost-cutting measures over the past four years, resulting in the authority over-estimating their yearly budget.

The council also received a £1.25million tax rebate from the Government set aside for the scheme.

Jeffrey Stanley, deputy leader of the council, and councillor responsible for corporate policy, resources and performance, said: “If we had just agreed to do the bare minimum, like re-lining the pool and improving the heating system, while it would have cost a lot, it would look as though nothing had been done.

“We want the leisure centre to look virtually brand new, and at home in the 21st century.

“Thanks to prudent housekeeping in the past few years, this has been possible.”

Work is scheduled to start on May 7. The scheme is expected to take around 12 months to complete.

The leisure centre will remain open throughout the renovation.