A new multi-million pound leisure and entertainment complex has been called a ‘big green carbuncle that would be more at home on Blackpool seafront’.

Memorial Court in Northwich, which is due for an April 2015 opening, will include a 25m swimming pool, gym, café and bar, multi-purpose theatre and conference venue, and will cost around £14m.

Funded by Cheshire West and Chester Council in partnership with the Weaver Valley Partnership Board, it is located on the site of the former Memorial Hall and magistrates court in the town centre.

But Labour Cllr Sam Naylor, who sits on both Northwich Town Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council, believes the centre is something of an eyesore.

He told the Chronicle: “It is just so out of context with Northwich and it is a horrible building, there is no doubt about it.

“It’s a big green carbuncle that would be more at home on Blackpool seafront.

“I’m not against new architecture but it just doesn’t look right.

“It’s just a pity that they could not create something that would reflect the history of Northwich.

“It has replaced the court which was a concrete building with very little character but Memorial Court, to me, looks like it has even less character.”

Fellow Labour Cllr Paul Dolan agrees that Northwich is in need of regeneration but is disappointed that developments like Memorial Court and Barons Quay are not in keeping with the town’s character and its plentiful of ‘attractive magpie buildings’.

“What I fear we are getting is a rather soulless collection of functional new buildings that may work well in a city or new town environment, but look out of kilter in Northwich,” he said.

“Residents are already calling Memorial Court a monstrous carbuncle and if this is how it is seen now, before it even opens, how will it be regarded in 20 or 30 years from now?”

Cllr Naylor is also concerned about Memorial Court’s car parking capacity, fearing that people may be tempted to go to Winsford swimming pool, ‘where they can park more easily’.

He said he hopes the centre will attract people to the town but with two ‘perfectly adequate gyms in the town already, whether or not it adds any real value remains to be seen’.

“I just hope that it stacks up financially,” he added.

A spokeswoman for Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “We are very surprised and disappointed by Cllr Naylor and Cllr Dolan’s views which are, of course, subjective and not necessarily shared by everyone.

“Memorial Court is a major investment in Northwich and the building is designed to meet the needs of the local community.

“It is one of the first phases of regeneration in the town centre which will see tens of millions of pounds of investment.

“The design is contemporary and is in line with the regeneration proposals for the town and the design meets all the requirements of local planning policies and design.

“The car park meets planning obligations and has been upgraded to cater for coaches. The building is also accessible by public transport and there is a bus stop immediately outside the building.”