LEISURE facilities in Basingstoke and Deane are set to get a £1.5m investment.

At a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, June 13, members approved the extension of current leisure contract Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) has with its leisure providers Basingstoke and Deane Community Leisure Trust, Serco and Totally Tennis until 2020.

As part of the deal, the parties will invest more than £1.5m to fund essential maintenance work.

Key areas highlighted by cabinet members includes more than £732,000 being invested in the aquadrome, £573,000 in the Tadley Pool, in New Road and £342,000 will go to improving Basingstok e golf course.

Cllr Simon Bound, portfolio holder for leisure facilities and cabinet member for communities and community safety, said: “I am pleased to see the repor t shows that a systematic and robust approach has been taken regarding the management of the council’s leisure facilities from 2018 onwards.

“It was an expectation of mine that we could have continued the service as we have it today, but what we have not only enhances the facilities we have but improve s them.”

At the meeting, it was also discussed that provisions could be put in place to extend the agreement to 2022 if needed.

It was also noted that if an extension is needed beyond 2022, coming as a result of any delay in the delivery of the Leisure Park redevelopment, it would have to be put before cabinet for approval.

The money invested in the aquadrome would go towards improving the air conditioning in the centre, while Tadley Pool is set to have a gym installed.

The golf course will have an 18 hole adventure course added.

Other cabinet members present at the meeting held at the council’ s offices in London Road were quick to praise the deal, and how the investment is set to have a positive impact on the borough.