THE long-awaited £2 million leisure centre at Bolton College will finally be launched on Friday.

College and council leisure chiefs will sign a contract for the development which they are hailing the first of its kind in the country.

The new centre on Manchester Road will have sports, leisure, exhibition and training facilities.

It will be used to provide job experience for the college's students in leisure management, retailing and tourism.

Expected to open next September, it will replace Silverwell Street sports centre which closed on Sunday. Cllr Gerry Riley, chairman of Bolton Council's leisure services committee, said: "It's an ambitious scheme and is the ideal answer to plug the gap left by the closure of Silverwell Street and provide the college and public with newer and improved facilities for leisure use.

"Quite simply, we could not afford the necessary money Silverwell Street needed spending on it.

"The centre will give the public and the students an ideal new facility, while at the same time giving students hands-on work experience."

There will be parking spaces for up to 200 cars and direct access for people using the exhibition hall.

Cllr Cliff Morris, chairman of the college governors, added: "There has been tremendous interest nationally in what we are trying to do here in Bolton.

"This is the very first project of its kind in the country. It is innovative, exciting and it is going to be a winner. In 12 months, Bolton will be leading the country with a first class development."

Meanwhile, a £15 million ambitious leisure scheme for the Tonge Valley will go before Bolton's planning councillors tomorrow.

As previously reported, Tudor Properties of Belmont Road, Bolton has asked for outline permission to transform a site off Waters Meeting Road, Astley Bridge.

Their plans - part of City Challenge - include a 12-screen multiplex cinema, a hotel, restaurants and business units.

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