Artist impressions of Ellesmere Port’s new £15m sport and leisure complex on Stanney Lane have been unveiled.

Provided by Cheshire-based Ellis Williams Architects, they give a glimpse of the 6,000sq m facilities which will replace the ageing EPIC. Plans for a replacement sports centre for the town date back to the previous borough council.

The Cheshire West and Chester Council project, co-funded by the Sports Council, is part of a £70m investment in leisure facilities across the new borough.

The development at the former Stanney High School includes a 25m eight lane swimming pool, a learner pool, an eight court sports hall with seating for 1,400 spectators, a fitness suite, a community room, dance and exercise studios and a cafe.

Describing the facilities as ‘state of the art’, the architects emphasised the sports hall had been designed to national basketball league standards.

The flagship development will have a public plaza to Stanney Lane to encourage new users and to promote a higher participation in sport.

Borough leisure chief Cllr Stuart Parker (Con) has described the development as ‘an iconic recreation facility’ and says it will be part of the creation of a larger sports village on the site.

Councillors heard there would be 10 full time and 26 part time staff, equivalent to 23 full time jobs.

Cllr Parker added: “This ambitious project is a huge investment by the council and shows our commitment to providing our residents with a state-of-the-art new sports and leisure village.

“We want to see the new facility become a focal hub for the town’s communities as well as offering residents, and indeed visitors from further afield, high-class facilities and an opportunity to try out new sports for a reasonable cost.

“At the heart of all of our work on this project has been the need for this to become an integral community facility, fully inclusive and accessible to all.”