Controversial plans to create a new leisure centre in Portsmouth instead of investing in current facilities has been defended by the city council.

It comes as it was revealed Portsmouth has seen £20m invested into sports facilities since 2017, with another £27m committed in the coming years as part of an initiative to help residents live happy and healthy lives by improving access to sports and leisure opportunities.

Over the past seven years, investments have been made in football, tennis, BMX, skateboarding, athletics, swimming, basketball, and watersports, along with fitness facilities for both adults and children.

The council’s public health teams found that 22.4 per cent of adults in Portsmouth are physically inactive and that 66.4 per cent are overweight or obese. To address these challenges, the council said it has created a sports and leisure strategy which guides how they invest in facilities and work with partners and the community.

Notable investments include £7 million towards creating a new football hub at King George V Playing Field in Cosham, nearly £4m for refurbishing The Pyramids, transforming it into a combined gym, fitness, and soft play facility, £1.2m for improvements and upgrades at Portsmouth Tennis Centre; and just under £650,000 for the Andrew Simpson Centre, aimed at widening participation in watersports and sailing activities.

Cllr Steve Pitt, leader of the council, said: “We are only part of the way through on our journey, with more exciting developments to come in the coming years which will provide a sustainable future for sport and leisure in Portsmouth.”

Future investments include £20m for a swimming pool and leisure centre in Bransbury Park, £6m to replace the roof and major systems at the Mountbatten Centre; and a renovation of Hilsea Lido, funded by the government, set to open for its 90th anniversary in summer 2025.

The Bransbury project has attracted controversy as its approval would permit the demolition of the historic Eastney Swimming Pool and also replace the facilities at Wimbledon Park.

Cllr Lee Hunt, cabinet member for community safety leisure and sport, acknowledged that change can be “difficult” but defended the Bransbury project, emphasising its potential to provide a learner pool, in contrast to “a 100-year-old redundant swimming pool that does nothing for children”.