A new £20m Olympic-sized swimming pool, which has been included as a potential training facility for teams ahead of the London 2012 Games, has officially opened in Corby, Northamptonshire.
The 50m Corby East Midlands International Pool was unveiled by Olympic swimmer Mark Foster on 24 July and is equipped with moveable floors and booms to accommodate international junior diving events and short and long course races.
Designed by S&P Architects, the facility also includes a 20m, four-lane training pool, a fun pool with a 63m aquatube body ride and pirate ship, a 70-station fitness suite equipped by Life Fitness and an aerobic studio.
The pool also includes a health suite incorporating a sauna, a spa pool and a steam room, a meeting room and a café, as well as the area's first Changing Place that exceeds requirements outlined in the Disability Discrimination Act, which offers disabled users full, assisted access to toilet, shower and changing facilities.
Hertfordshire-based Willmott Dixon was responsible for the construction of Corby East Midlands International Pool, which was funded by Corby Borough Council (CBC) in partnership with English Partnership, the East Midlands Development Agency, the Department of Local Government and North Northants Development Company.
CBC leader Pat Fawcett said: "Corby has grown from strength to strength over the years and the opening of this iconic building is a statement as to just how far we have come and where we are heading in the future.
"We are an ambitious town and we are proud to have opened a state-of-the-art 50m pool that will be a great training facility for our future swimming and diving stars."
Culture secretary Ben Bradshaw, who also attended the opening ceremony, added: "The pool will be a huge asset, not just for Corby or Northamptonshire, but for the whole of the East Midlands.
"Corby deserves great credit for its initiative and enterprise in driving forward this project, which will leave the town with an enviable new sports facility fit for Olympic hopefuls and young families alike."
