HUNTINGDON Leisure Centre is set for a £1.1 refurbishment that is expected to attract at least 45,000 extra visitors a year. The district council's cabinet agreed last week to release the funds for a scheme that will see the centre losing a badminton court - and gain £3.2million over 15 years in membership and admission charges as the district's residents get fitter. The court - one of five in the centre at present - is used by 1,400 people a year, who pay £2,000 for the privilege. But, when it is replaced in the expansion programme by a training studio, two treatment rooms, a soft play area for young children, a zone for teenagers, a new spa and other facilities, the extra users are expected to bring in 10 times as much annual income as will be lost through closing the court. The decision follows a business case review of the district's five council-owned leisure centres, including St Neots, St Ives, Ramsey and Sawtry.
