Work has reached its highest point at a new multi-million-pound sports centre.

The last beam has been installed at Splashes Leisure Centre, in Rainham, as the building frame of the facility is complete.

The training pool for lane swimming and the leisure pool are already starting to take shape at the facility in Bloors Lane with the rest of the work due to begin later this year.

Once complete, the sports centre will have two pools, including one with flumes and another for lessons, a fitness gym and room for exercise classes and children’s parties, and family and accessible changing rooms.

Construction began in March this year and today (September 5) a topping-out ceremony took place to mark the completion of the main structure.

Portfolio holder for climate change and strategic regeneration, Cllr Simon Curry, said: “My own children learnt to swim here many years ago so to see it back on its feet is very exciting.

“What we have here is a site which is how we should be building things for the future now. We have massive thermal efficiency to reduce the cost of heating the building.

“We have solar panels all over the roof, a lot more than the original design. We wanted a lot more solar energy on the site. It is all good news.”

The new building has been designed to be thermally efficient, have electric vehicle charging points and will be mainly powered by solar panels which will help reduce running costs by more than £30,000 a year.

This will also mean carbon emissions will be 72% lower than a typical sports centre.

In June 2021, it was announced that the former Splashes was to be demolished to stop it from becoming an "eyesore" and to make way for a new facility.

The plans were revealed shortly after Medway Council announced a £5 million revamp had been put on hold because surveys of the site had identified issues with the structure.

In October last year, it was reported that spiralling costs had left the unitary authority considering the future of the project and whether to borrow another £7m.

This meant the total expected cost of the build would come to just under £25m – £20m more than estimated when plans for the initial refurbishment were first brought forward.

In December, Willmott Dixon Construction Limited was appointed to build the state-of-the-art leisure centre which was then coming in at five times the initial cost of £23.65m.

Cllr Curry added: “That is always a challenge for local councils, whether the money you invest now is worth it for the future.

“It is a lot of money, it is costing a lot from the previous administration now the new Labour authority that has come in in May so what we are trying to do is to make it more of a centre for families and healthy living.

“The benefits for people’s health and wellbeing will really reap benefits for the future so it will be money well spent. I am looking forward to an exciting future of this site, it is brilliant.”

The new site is expected to be open by summer 2024.