Contractors Crispin and Borst will begin work on February 20. Completion is scheduled for February 2009.

The new Crompton Street Sports Centre in Westminster, London, will provide a four-court sports hall, a multi-purpose dance studio and a 30-station fitness suite.

There will also be a video suite to capture and analyse people's movement, a fully IT-equipped classroom and a mini-satellite library.

The new centre, which was formerly Westminster Children's Sports Centre, has been planned in close partnership with Westminster Council's Go Green Board to ensure it has low carbon emissions.

As well as low-energy heating and lighting, the building will have a "green" sedum roof to absorb harmful CO2 and improve temperatures inside the centre - acting as insulation in winter and preventing some heat absorption in the summer.

£1.6m in external funding from Sport England, Skills Active, Big Lottery Fund and John Lyon's Charity Trust will go towards the scheme.

The works will coincide with the £25m regeneration of sports facilities in Marshall Street to transform the Grade II listed baths into a modern, fully equipped sports centre.

This and a £1.45m refurbishment and extension of the pavilion at Paddington Recreation Ground will provide residents with increased choice of affordable, top-of-the range leisure facilities.