A YOUTH centre in Banbury used by almost 900 young people is set to be demolished and replaced with a £3m state-of-the-art building.

The 1960s style building — home to Banbury Youth Centre, Woodgreen, — will close in June to make way for the multi-million pound refurbishment.

The new building, called the New Futures Centre, will house a performance hall with stage, music practice rooms, an art room with a pottery kiln, a fitness suite, a workshop and a café-style ‘chill out’ area.

Outside there will be an all-weather court for basketball and football.

The project, expected to be up and running by September 2011, will be funded by the Government’s Co-location Fund, which was set up to bring public services together.

Mike Beal, Banbury area youth worker, welcomed the move. He said: “It’s long overdue. It’s going to increase the size and there will be an area outside for basketball.

“There has not been any area outside before that we could run sports activities.”

He said the site, which was the base for the town’s youth team, could offer limited activities and the building was dated. “It’s all very limited at the moment and we have just been adding to the building, which was built in the 1960s. He said services would be relocated to other parts of the town while building work took place.

About 50 young people from the town took part in a consultation for the building design and what activities will be run at the new centre.

The new building will be eco-friendly using low carbon design technologies solar panels and low-energy fittings to keep running costs down.

Oxfordshire county councillors are due to rubber stamp the funding next week.

Kieron Mallon, town, district and county councillor for Banbury, said: “This new Woodgreen youth centre is going to be a fantastic focal point for young people from all over the town. To have a whole range of sporting, leisure and youth facilities all in one spot is good news for Banbury.

“Banbury is at long last getting the youth and leisure facilities it deserves.”

Anthony Sayles, area manager for the integrated youth support service, said: “Designed with young people and for young people we hope that this facility will go on to provide the kind of space and support that young people want.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for the Banbury community and most importantly children and young people.”

The new centre would also house youth and health workers and specialist advisers.