Plans for a new £34 million leisure centre have been recommended for approval.

Gravesham council submitted its proposals to demolish the existing Cascades Leisure Centre, in Gravesend, and neighbouring Regan's Bar to build a new facility to planning officers in December.

If approved, the centre will include a 25m pool, 17m learner pool, an aqua play and water flume area, poolside steam and sauna, spectator viewing area, a sports hall with six courts and tiered seating, a multi-level soft play zone, a 'clip n climb' zone, party and community rooms and a café, all on the ground floor.

On the first floor, there will be two squash courts, two multi-use studios, a spin bike studio and a 100-station fitness suite,

The plans also outline improvements to the existing play area including an outdoor gym and trim trail, replacing the three redundant tennis courts, landscaping and parking for 257 vehicles, three coach drop off points and 13 motorcycle spaces.

It will be built on the site currently used for visitor parking and will aim for the highest environmental performance standards, if approved.

Councillors decided the construction would adopt an approach known as Passivhaus to coincide with its ambition to be net zero by 2030.

The project will be around 13 times more efficient in terms of carbon usage than the existing Cascades, which is the second biggest emitter of carbon in the council’s estate after the Civic Centre.

Planning permission is being sought after the council originally laid out its proposals last January as part of its long-term Sports, Leisure and Active Recreation Strategy.

It was said current centre, in Thong Lane, which was built in the late 1960s and early 1970s, was predicted to increase in maintenance costs over the next few years and was not financially viable.

The application is due to be discussed at planning committee next week on Wednesday, March 1.

In their report, planning officers said: "The proposed development is deemed to be a sustainable form of development that accords with national and local planning policy and will have no detrimental impact on the openness of the Green Belt."

It also praised the the scheme for taking "into account the history of the site" and incorporating "this in its design and play area."

Concerns were raised by the council's highway team over the size of the the cycle parking as there was no space for adaptive cycles and said the coach parking was "impractical".

Sports England also suggested the hall space is marked out for futsal and the council's environmental protection team said supplementary noise and ventilation assessments needed to be submitted.

Despite this, the project has been recommended for approval subject to the applicants agreeing to the pre-commencement conditions and finalisation of planning conditions.

If councillors agree, construction is expected to start in June 2023 with completion scheduled by December 2024.

Earlier this year, the council was hit with criticism that the plans had been rushed and the public has not been given long enough to comment on it.

But those behind the scheme said this was not the case and the design had been informed by extensive consultation.