A multi-million pound plan to upgrade the leisure facilities in Londonderry's Waterside has been approved after a meeting with Derry City Council's Development Committee.

The plans will see a new sports campus constructed at St Columb's Park in a bid to move various sporting interests to one site.

Council officers now have a clear mandate from all parties to invite tenders for the construction of a new North West Regional Sports Campus.

The construction of this new state-of-the-art building will give ratepayers the benefits of a modern facility.

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Meanwhile it is argued that there are also significant savings to be made by closing the older, and current sports facility, the Lisnagelvin Centre and moving the various sporting interests to a single site.

Lisnagelvin will not close until the new site at St Columb's Park is fully functioning

Committee Chair Cllr Martin Reilly said: "This decision represents a significant investment in the leisure infrastructure in the Waterside which will benefit not just those in the immediate area but the wider North West.

"The Council has agreed a strategic framework for the development and delivery of their sports and leisure portfolio over the coming years and I have asked for updates on the progress on these improvements to be brought to the Development Committee every month.

"Derry is a city with a passionate interest in sports. I therefore look forward to seeing progress on all of these projects during my time as Chair of the Development Committee."

(LB/BMcC)