Part of the Stour Centre will be shut next week for repairs less than a year after it opened.

The learner and leisure pools, including the flumes, will be out from Monday to Friday. Maintenance to tile work and the flume steps will take five days.

The leisure complex opened last September, 18 months late and £5.8million over budget.

Because the repairs are during the first year that the building is open, the contractor, Carillion, will be paying for the work.

The building has been assessed and has been found to require essential maintenance.

About 45,000 people a month use the £17million state-of-the-art leisure complex.

Twenty schools use the learner pool for classes every week. All have been told about next week’s closure.

Emma Wood, chief executive of Ashford Leisure Trust, said: “We closely monitor our facilities to ensure they are maintained to a high standard.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time, whilst we undertake essential building work.”

The main pool and all other Stour Centre facilities, including the gym, will remain open.