DISABLED people will enjoy better access to leisure facilities following improvement work at Hyndburn Sports Centre.

The council has carried out an audit on the building to find out how it could be made more accessible for people with physical, sensory and learning disabilities.

The leisure services committee was told that a wide range of business and voluntary organisations had been consulted about the scheme, including architects, the Blind Society, Council for Voluntary Services and Communicare.

And officers have spoken to disabled people directly.

Suggestions have been made as to how to improve the swimming pool, sauna, lifts and changing rooms.

The sports centre was built before recommendations for access were set by the Audit Commission in 1993.

Officers are not required to make changes but Hyndburn's head of leisure Stewart Kellett said the council intended to go beyond the minimum standards to ensure everyone could enjoy their right to move around independently.

Officers are presently assessing the cost of the work.

The audit is part of the council's Disability Leisure Strategy which aims to convert existing facilities and ensure new developments take into account the needs of all users.

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