THE official opening of Bolton Excel - the town's centre of excellence for leisure and learning - has been delayed until January 17.

The official launch of the new sports and exhibition centre at Bolton College was to take place at Lower Bridgeman Street on November 15.

But the work is not expected to be completed by that date.

Bolton's Lancashire and England cricket star Mike Watkinson has been invited to take part in the ceremony.

Bolton Excel is a unique partnership between Bolton College and Bolton Council's leisure services.

It will offer a first class sports, leisure, exhibition and events facility for students and the public.

Leisure chiefs have been told that work could be completed by the end of November and the centre will open in December to allow time for any problems to be ironed out before the official launch.

Disappointment at the delayed opening was eased by news that Bolton Excel has scooped a £109,269 grant from the National Lottery Sports Fund.

The award will pay for a comprehensive kinetics fitness gym housing sophisticated equipment for the analysis of body metabolism and produce individually tailored fitness programmes.

Councillors congratulated officers at a leisure services committee meeting for securing £435,776 so far from the lottery fund.

£59,959 has been awarded for improvements at Farnworth Pool and £11,548 for six portable courts for the Bolton Le Moors Badminton Junior League.

Earlier, £168,000 was awarded for a fitness suite at Horwich Leisure Centre and £87,000 for drainage programmes.

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