A sports hall in Wantage has undergone a £24,000 refurbishment.

The hall at Wantage Leisure Centre had seen better days, with the wear and tear from its constant use leading to general damage and worn-out lines.

During August, the hall's floor was sanded down and all its linework was renewed.

A strong sealant has also been applied to the refurbished floor, which is expected to extend its lifespan by at least five years.

The sports hall before the refurbishmentThe sports hall before the refurbishment (Image: South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils)

The netball court lines, which were slightly out of alignment, have been corrected and the moveable nets readjusted.

The walls have also been given a fresh coat of paint, now blue in line with Sport England guidelines.

There were also LED lights installed during a previous improvement project, providing a much better environment for racquet sports such as badminton.

Mark Coleman, Vale of White Horse District Council’s deputy leader, said: "This is great news for users of this popular sports hall.

"Thanks to the revamp, racquet sports, basketball and netball will be a much-improved experience.

"I’m glad we were able to invest in this improvement project, which is just part of the picture of our investment at Wantage Leisure Centre, and across all of our leisure centres.

"There will be more to come with work on the swimming pool changing rooms and major energy-saving work, which will significantly contribute towards reducing our overall carbon emissions."

The update to the facility, which cost a total of £24,984, was partly funded by £17,334 of S106 developer contributions made to improve existing facilities in the area.

The council also plans to refurbish the swimming pool changing rooms over the next year.

A multi-million-pound energy-saving project is set to start later this year at both Wantage Leisure Centre and White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre.

This will involve the installation of insulation, new windows, solar panels, air source heat pumps and external wall insulation.

The project, set to be completed by March 2025, is predicted to reduce the council’s overall carbon emissions by more than 25 per cent.

These developments follow prior criticism from Wantage residents regarding the condition of the town's leisure centre, with some saying they were "appalling".

They also argued the state of the leisure centre was symptomatic of a general lack of investment in Wantage.

One resident said in March 2023: “The state of Wantage Leisure Centre is appalling there are multiple leaks in the roof of the sports hall.

“There are pieces of paper roll all over the floor to mop up the water."