A public consultation is being held on a new £34 million leisure centre set to replace Cascades.

Gravesham Borough Council is asking residents to have their say on the new centre planned for Thong Lane, Gravesend.

Work on early design concepts and feasibility have been ongoing for the past 12 months, with plans first unveiled for the £34 million leisure centre in January.

The project was approved in February.

The council plans to replace the existing Cascades Leisure Centre, which will remain open while building work takes place.

The new centre could include a range of upgraded facilities, including a large open-plan fitness suite, a multi-purpose sports hall, a large café, and a 25 metre swimming pool.

Other suggestions include a splash pool, an adventure soft play area and a 'clip and climb', along with community rooms and community health spaces.

Proposals have also been put forward to improve the open space in and around the site with options such as improved parking, play areas, and landscaping.

The centre was initially constructed in the late 60s and 70s, and its swimming pool was built in 1988 as part of a £2.6 million transformation project. A further refurbishment in 2010 introduced a fitness suite.

A survey in 2019 found that the tiling of the pool and floor is "in poor condition and can result in injury to users", and the flume structure was corroding, with the changing areas and main pool also needing attention and refurbishment.

Papers released ahead of the plan's approval said the new building is more expensive than refurbishing but it was felt the a new centre would have better facilities and would have a greater capacity to generate more money.

Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox, Gravesham Borough Council’s cabinet member for community and leisure, said: “The proposed new leisure centre could deliver an extensive and holistic range of sport and leisure facilities, from being able to host regional level sporting competitions and training for a variety of wet and dry sports, to ensuring that residents and visitors can relax and have fun, and meet the needs of both current and future users.

“I hope that residents will take the opportunity to have their say in helping to shape the next stage of this exciting proposal.”

Today, the council has launched a public consultation to find out what residents would like the proposals to include. The consultation will run until midnight on Sunday, November 20.

You can click here to take part in the consultation survey or find further information about the proposals.

A drop-in session for people wishing to speak to someone directly or find out more will take place at Cascades Leisure Centre in Thong Lane on Tuesday, November 8, between 12pm and 7pm.

Factors including the consultation findings, final costings, and planning consent will determine whether the plans to replace the centre will go ahead.