THREE designs for the redevelopment of the Victoria Leisure Centre have been unveiled.

The options all include new buildings on the current site of the leisure centre with the historic clock tower retained.

However, they all propose a smaller facility with no sports hall. The land freed up would be used for residential development in two of the designs and has an unspecified use in a third.

The designs are on show today at Carlton Road Library and tomorrow at the Renewal Trust (Job Centre) offices on Carlton Road from 10am to 5pm.

The city council has said it will budget for up to £8m to build a new facility.

The designs are controversial because the Save the Victoria Baths campaign group wants the current facility refurbished. It says the council's own research shows that could be achieved for about £2m.

The group wants to retain the sports hall.

Mat Anderson, campaign group chairman, said he suspected the designs proposed were drawn up to increase the opportunity for developers.

He said: "It is all so pointless. The council has gone it in their heads to use this as a way of levering in regeneration. The community is just interested in the leisure centre. It is disingenuous for the council to hijack community preference for its own aims."

The designs have been drawn up by architects, Levitate, against a specification produced by the city council.

The council says it consulted on what was wanted by the community.