Nearly three-quarters of a million people have visited Abingdon's leisure and tennis centre since it opened eight months ago -- and now there are plans for a £2m expansion to cater for growing demand.

Staff break open the bubbly to celebrate

The £10m White Horse Leisure and Tennis Centre in Audlett Drive opened in April.

Since then, it has established itself as the most successful sports centre in Oxfordshire.

Up to the end of last month 724,058 people visited the centre, ranked among the top 20 in the country, and it expects to clock up its one millionth visitor by the end of January.

Manager Paul Nangle said: "It has proved an astonishing success.

"We expected it would attract a strong following from Abingdon and district, but it is pulling in people from the Oxford and Swindon areas and even further afield."

The most popular area is the gymnasium and the company that runs the centre, Community Leisure Services, wants to expand it to provide four new dance studios for aerobics, yoga, ballet, jazz dance and salsa.

The project will cost an estimated £2m, to be funded by the company.

Talks will take place with the owners of the centre, the Vale of White Horse District Council, in the New Year.

The centre's popularity is causing parking problems. There are 180 parking bays and the company wants to provide another 100.

A recently introduced bus service is helping ease congestion during the day and weekends.

Mr Nangle said much of the success was down to the vision of the council and the Lawn Tennis Association.

He said: "People tell us it is like belonging to a private club but at a fraction of the cost. We have taken people away from expensive private centres in the area.

"We are ranked among the top 20 centres in the country.

"We have built up a reputation and attract councils from all over the country wanting to see what we have achieved."

The centre employs 200 staff and more may be taken on if the expansion plans take shape.

The national wheelchair tennis competitions finals were held at the centre last month, and more than 1,500 schoolchildren are involved in the Cliff Richard Tennis Trail scheme.

The district council's executive member for sport, Bob Johnston, said: "It attracts people from a wide area -- but very encouragingly it has not harmed attendances at the Wantage and Faringdon leisure centres."