A health and fitness club in Kingston is set to undergo a major revamp with a new gym, bigger swimming pool and more facilities.

Kingston Council officers have recommended for approval plans to extend and refurbish The River Club, in Worcester Park, which would open it up to the community for the first time.

The plans involve building a new gym at the members' club with dance and exercise studios, and extending the swimming pool by five metres in both length and width. The changing rooms would be upgraded to accommodate roughly 40 men and 40 women, while a new restaurant, café and members' lounge would be added.

Three padel courts would be built to the north of the car park, connecting to the main buildings through new paths, and a new outdoor play area would be created. The community hall on the site, which is the only facility currently open to the public, would be upgraded and continue to host classes, concerts and dance performances.

One of the biggest proposed changes to the club would be opening up the swimming pool to the public for the first time, including to schools.

Planning documents said this would help meet demand for swimming pools in Kingston, as the borough only has one public pool since the Kingfisher Leisure Centre shut in 2019. While a replacement leisure centre is being built, it is not due to be completed until 2027 due to years of delays.

The gym, group exercise classes and padel courts would also be opened up to non-members. The outdoor areas could be used by the public for free.

Planning documents said the upgrades would help to ensure the long-term success of the club, allowing it to transform its offer to focus more on families and community access.

The documents said: "The River Club is a privately-owned sports and fitness club offering a range of facilities and activities to a membership of circa 2,500 [people]. There is very limited access to those who are not members, and virtually no community access at all.

"The current owner is keen to invest in the club to extend facilities, develop new provision, and increase capacity to enable increased member and non-member access."

Council officers recommended the scheme for approval in a new report, which said the scheme "attracts significant positive weight for its wider public health and economic benefits".

The council's Planning Committee will make a final decision on the scheme on Wednesday (September 10).