A multi-million pound tennis centre planned for Worthing will create 130 new jobs, according to the company who want to set it up.

Leisure company Whitbread has unveiled plans to spend £8 million building a David Lloyd Leisure tennis, health and fitness club.

Under the proposals, the 8,000sqm development would open next year in Romany Road, Durrington, on the doorstep of West Worthing Tennis Club.

Plans include seven tennis courts, including five indoor courts, four badminton courts, a large gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, exercise studios, spa and restaurant.

Guy Kemsley, of David Lloyd Leisure, said: "There is a growing awareness of the importance of exercise for long-term health and well-being.

"Our plans represent the opportunity to bring the very best in tennis, health and fitness to people who live and work in and around Worthing."

Despite the boost the club would bring to the jobs market and the local economy, the plan is likely to meet stiff opposition.

West Worthing Tennis Club in Titnore Way is just one street away from the proposed site.

Club manager Chris Archer said: "We are aware of the situation and watching it closely.

"We recently opened our own three indoor courts so effectively they are going into competition with that.

"Obviously it's a concern but at the moment we can't say much more."

We reported yesterday that the land David Lloyd hopes to develop is earmarked for light industrial use.

David Lloyd bosses have been looking for a site in Worthing for a long time and said the site was chosen following an "extensive search".

Planning officer James Appleton said: "We will go through the normal exercise of consulting residents and other bodies who will be affected by the application."

David Lloyd has already invested millions of pounds in a club in Brighton and its Eastbourne branch has played host to some of the biggest names in world tennis, as a practise venue for the Hastings Direct International Championships.

The company claims to be the largest commercial tennis court operator in Europe, with the biggest junior tennis programme in Europe teaching more than 8,000 children to play every week.

More than a quarter of the UK's courts are managed by David Lloyd.

Whitbread, which runs hotels, restaurants and fitness clubs including Travel Inn, Marriott Hotels UK, Brewers Fayre, Brewsters, Beefeater, Pizza Hut UK, TGI Friday's and Costa, bought David Lloyd Leisure in 1995. Since then the business has grown from 14 clubs to 55 and has more than 310,000 members.