A NEW £30.6 million public swimming pool will open in Bolton town centre by April 2011, it has been revealed.

The Bolton News can exclusively unveil the design of the development which will house the eight-lane, 25-metre pool, along with a new health centre and university sports science labs.

Officials say the building will transform the University of Bolton’s Deane Road campus and form a key part of a future development that will include a cinema, hotels, apartments, offices, a magistrates court and a transport interchange.

Bolton Council will pay £11.1m towards the scheme, Bolton NHS Primary Care Trust will pay £12m and the university will contribute £7.5m.

The design of the 4,700sq metre complex is expected to go before a planning committee next month.

The competition-sized pool, half the length of an Olympic pool, would seat 250 spectators. The building will also contain a therapeutic hydrotherapy pool for people with disabilities, a fitness suite, aerobics studio and a community gym. Serco, the company which manages the council’s leisure centres, will run the pool and hopes to encourage more people to lead healthier lifestyles.

The development will replace The Water Place baths which closed in 2002.

Bolton Council Leader Cllr Cliff Morris said: “By combining our efforts, we want to encourage both participation in sports and to close the gap that exists between healthier communities and those whose health is affected by poverty and other social factors.

“This project is one of the first significant landmarks within the Bolton Innovation Zone, which will create more than 4,000 jobs and attract £300m of private investment in the next 10 years.”

Adjoining the pool will be a four-storey urgent care medical centre which will deal with patients suffering from injuries such as cuts or broken limbs, thereby freeing up resources at the Royal Bolton Hospital’s A&E department.

Health chiefs say the plans include x-ray rooms and diagnostic facilities, such as scanners, will be brought in to meet demand if necessary.

Tim Evans, the NHS trust’s chief executive, said: “This development will not only provide more convenient urgent care and routine health services in the heart of Bolton, but also cement the links between health and exercise, highly-trained health workers and education.”

The university says the two sports science labs will help it grow as a centre of teaching and research.

There are plans to replace the current sports hall with one featuring four indoor courts, a climbing wall and a running track.

Vice-chancellor Dr George Holmes said: “It is an exciting time. The new development will be a wonderful asset, benefitting our students, staff and the entire town.”

A new access road between Moor Lane and Trinity Street will replace a section of Moor Lane between Deane Road and Derby Street.

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