WORK on a new sports centre in the Valleys is progressing well ahead of its opening next year, according to Blaenau Gwent council.

The council said the new Ebbw Vale Sports Centre will open next September at The Works - the site of the town's former Corus steelworks.

The £15 million sports centre will replace the current Ebbw Vale leisure centre in the town.

It will be home to a 3G artificial playing surface, grass pitch, sports hall, fitness suite, weight room and dance studio.

It will also have a health suite with a spa and sauna, cafe, 25-metre swimming pool, learner pool and fun pool and teaching and meeting rooms.

The steel structure has now been constructed and work is currently being carried out to the basement through pipe work, the plant room, and floor of the 25-metre pool.

Contractor Willmott Dixon said it is currently on target to hand Ebbw Vale Sports Centre over to Blaenau Gwent council by September.

This will be in time for the opening of the secondary phase of the Ebbw Fawr Learning Community School.

The centre will be close to a multi-storey car park being built at The Works and will have ten disabled parking spaces at the front of the building.