A swimming pool could be closed down as part of a cost-cutting shake-up of leisure centres.

Under the plan, Wadurs at Shoreham would be replaced by a new £5 million complex in Southwick.

Adur District Council is considering handing over the day-to-day management of the two centres and Lancing Leisure Centre to an external company.

The cash-strapped council has been told it will cost £856,000 a year to continue to run the service internally, with a further £350,000 to maintain the facilities.

Improving the three centres would cost £3.6 million but would only increase revenue by £400,000, with more money needed for maintenance.

Building a new leisure complex at Southwick is likely to cost £5m but would reduce annual maintenance costs and increase revenue.

The council commissioned a report into the future of leisure facilities at the three sites from the PMP Consultancy last year.

The company has outlined a number of options including negotiating with an existing non-profit distributing organisation (NPDO) to manage the centres, entering into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) or the council continuing to run the service itself.

The council's community services committee is being asked to back the NPDO option when it meets on Tuesday.

It will also ask the council's executive policy board to negotiate with the NPDO to build a new pool and leisure complex on the site of Southwick Leisure Centre in Old Barn Way.

A report to the committee states: "Direct management is dependent on the level of long-term investment the council is able to commit to the service.

"It appears unlikely that the capital required for all three facilities can be provided by the council committing funds from its own capital programme."