THORNBURY Leisure Centre will be refurbished as soon as possible, South Gloucestershire Council has promised.

At a meeting of the full council yesterday, all three political parties pledged to fund improvements to the centre which is ‘well past its sell by date’.

Cllr Clare Fardell (Lib Dem, Thornbury North) said: "Obviously this is welcome news. It is specifically the changing rooms that we have requested for something to be done.

"Over the years we have had numerous complaints, in fact we have had more complaints about the changing rooms than anything else.

"Now they are well past their sell by date. They do not satisfy modern requirements and they are without doubt putting people off going for a swim."

She said the work needed to be done quickly to encourage more people to use the leisure centre.

Added Cllr Fardell: "We need the work done fairly soon. I would like to think it will be done this financial year and certainly hope it will be done by the end of the next financial year."

The announcement comes after Thornbury Town Council launched a campaign to improve the leisure centre in October. Members called for investment following the modernisation of Yate Leisure Centre.

Cllr Heather Goddard, the authority’s executive member for communities, said the council was committed to providing high quality leisure facilities.

She said the £1.8million refurbishment of Yate Leisure Centre was completed earlier this year and £2million has been allocated to improve Kingswood Leisure Centre.

However, she said making a business case for Thornbury Leisure Centre was more difficult as the facility was not self-financing.

"There is an ageing population and young people are not being born in the area," said Cllr Goddard. "But it would be wrong to assume that Thornbury has not been on the receiving end of substantial investment.

"Since 2007, £240,000 has been invested in a new gym, café, sports hall and spinning studio and there is an ongoing refurbishment of the squash courts."

She said on the basis that improvements to Bradley Stoke and Longwell Green leisure centres can be funded through borrowing, the council should allocate money from its capital budget to invest in Thornbury Leisure Centre.

She said: "When appropriate finances do become available in the future we will invest them in Thornbury."