A £3.4m revamp of a north Oxford sports complex and community centre is expected to start within five months.

Beatrice Lucas

Ferry Sports Centre and Ferry Community Centre, in Summertown, will be completely transformed.

Oxford City Council earmarked money for the project last year and said it hoped work could begin within three years.

Designs have now been drawn up -- including a new fitness centre and air-conditioned dance studio -- and Peter Johnson, the council's executive member for leisure, said the work could start as early as June.

He said final touches were being made to plans and the city council was expecting soon to release artist's impressions of the new facilities, in Diamond Place.

Mr Johnson said: "A lot of hard work has gone into this project so far and we're looking at starting work in June or July.

"We want people to know what's going on and we're coming up with ideas at the moment on how best to promote the new scheme. It's a very exciting time."

More than 100 volunteers who help the North Oxford Association run the community centre are preparing for the renovation, which will take about seven months.

They will help ensure its work continues, by operating from a mobile building in Diamond Place.

As well as a £750,000 renovation, funded by the council, the association is hoping to raise £100,000 to extend the community centre and build an information technology room and new offices.

The city council's north area committee last week pledged to reserve £25,000 of its area capital budget for the scheme, pending a detailed grant application.

North Oxford Association is also likely to contribute between £30,000 and £40,000 from its savings.

Chairman Beatrice Lucas said: "The community centre provides a lifeline for many local residents and this modernisation work is vital to ensure its future. We're absolutely over the moon at the way things are progressing."