Planning permission has been approved for the redevelopment of two leisure centres in Belfast.

Belfast City Council (BCC) gave the green light for the Robinson Centre in Castlereagh and the Brook Activity Centre in Twinbrook to be restored.

The £20 million transformation of the Robinson Centre will see the existing leisure and community centre replaced with a state-of-the-art facility, with the emphasis on aquatics. It will feature a 25-metre by eight lane gala pool with 250 spectator seats, a 20-metre long training pool and leisure water provision, as well as a four-court sports hall, 140-station fitness suite, fitness studio and outdoor five-a-side pitches, with a new community centre incorporated into the building.

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The emphasis of £15 million rebuilding of the Brook Activity Centre will be the development of outdoor leisure provision, a new GAA pitch, with two football pitches across its width, three indoor and three outdoor five-a-side pitches, 10 team changing rooms, a hurling wall, playground, and a 'trim trail'. It also will include a 25-metre four-lane swimming pool, five-court sports hall and a 60-station fitness suite.

The developments are part of Belfast City Council's £105 million programme to improve leisure centres, programmes and services across the city.

(CD/JP)