Basildon could become home to a £20m Olympic-sized swimming pool and top-notch sports centre for sporting excellence.
Councillors unanimously gave backing to the ambitious project for Gloucester Park at a cabinet meeting last night.
The regional centre would be good enough for the professional athletes to train in, but still open to the public.
At the moment competitive swimmers must travel to Norwich or Southampton for a full-sized pool, but if the council gets its way they will soon be able to enjoy a 50m pool in Basildon.
The centre would also have a sports hall with seating for 1,000 spectators, a health and fitness suite, treatment rooms, a dance studio, a gymnasium and creche.
There would also be a 400m athletic track outside with covered seating for spectators. A hotel could be built where the present swimming pool is now.
However the scheme would take up half as much land as the controversial Billericay Town stadium proposal.
Anthony Hedley, Basildon Council's executive councillor for leisure and open spaces, said: "This will help rebrand Basildon as a destination for sport."
Published Friday July 9, 2004
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