HALTON Council’s leisure centres have received a £300,000 investment.

A new state-of-the-art gym has opened at Kingsway Leisure Centre in Widnes.

Top of the range cardio machines with access to the internet, social media and to digital TV have been installed.

The machines also run LF connect software which links to most leading fitness tracking hardware so that users can get the most out of their workout and monitor their progress.

It is hoped the improved facilities will encourage more residents to keep fit and help combat heart disease, strokes and obesity and improve mental health.

The gym also boasts new and improved free weights, resistance machinery and an Olympic squat rack.

Poolside changing rooms have also been refurbished and new lighting fitted in the aerobic studio.

Kingsway Leisure Centre, Brookvale Recreation Centre and Runcorn Swimming Pool came back into the management of Halton Council from 1 April, having been run by a private contractor for the authority for the past 10 years.

The decision to resume management of the leisure centres, with specialist support, was taken by the executive Board in September 2015, after considering a review gave clear evidence that this move would achieve significant efficiency savings while maintaining a good quality service.

Halton Cllr Phil Harris, board member for community and sport said: “This new investment is being achieved within existing resources and reflects our commitment to invest in improving health for a wide range of age groups.

“We hope these investments will encourage even more people to become active and by doing so improve both their physical and mental health.”

Improvements are also planned to Brookvale Leisure Centre and Runcorn Swimming Pool in the coming months.