A MULTI-MILLION pound shake-up of St Albans' leisure facilities, including the closure of two sports centres and a complete replacement for Westminster Lodge, has been unveiled.

Under the blueprint drawn up by the district council, the leisure centres in Bricket Wood and London Colney will close and the ageing building in Verulamium Park will be replaced by a new facility.

The new centre, to be constructed beside the existing building, will include a 1,000 square metre fitness suite, a climbing wall, a sports hall big enough for eight badminton courts and an "extreme sports" zone.

The facility could even be a "flagship" centre complete with a 50-metre swimming pool under one of two options under consideration.

In the "flagship" option, there would be no replacement for the London Colney centre, but in the alternative scenario, a new sports facilty would be built there, either in Cotlandswick open space, or on the Morris Way recreation ground.

Both sites are occupied by football pitches and allotments, and head of leisure Kevin Tighe promised the council would work with existing users to see how their needs could be accommodated.

The London Colney centre could have a five-lane 25-metre pool, a sports hall big enough for four badminton courts and an artificial turf outdoor pitch.

Under either option there will be an eight-lane swimming pool at the new centre in Verulanium Park, together with a learner pool and a children's play pool, possibly with a beach.

The council hopes to attract major swimming competitions and envisages space for 350 spectators.

Outside the new centre there will be four new netball courts, but the athletics track and the pitch-and-putt course will remain.

Leisure portfolio holder Sheila Burton said: "Westminster Lodge is an old, tired building past its sell-by date.

"It is inefficient to run and doesn't provide the standard of facilities our residents expect.

"The London Colney centre is in a similar state."

The Bricket Wood centre will revert to its owner, the HSBC bank, and its future is unclear.

Mr Tighe said residents of that part of St Albans would benefit from a new swimming pool which is to be built in north Watford.

The council will decide which of the two options to go for in October and wants feedback from people on what they want from their sports facilities to help it decide.

The new facilities, which will be built by a contractor after a competitive tendering process, should open in 2009.

Westminster Lodge will remain in operation while its replacement is under construction.

Martin Lindus, a consultant architect who has drawn up the two option blueprint, said: "The more feedback we get to input into this process, the better the final result will be."

The council will be exhibiting its plans in St Albans market and in London Colney during July and August.

Comments can be sent to Grant Aitken, Capita Symonds Ltd,1 Procter Street, London WC1V 6DW, or e-mail grant.aitken@capitasymonds.co.uk