Basildon Sporting Village Building Long Course Facility

BASILDON, Essex, England, October 16. CONSTRUCTION of a £38million regional sports facility in Basildon, Essex will start on Monday.

The Basildon Sporting Village will provide the only 50-metre swimming pool in Essex, and only the second in the East of England, and will open in April 2011. The facility that will also include a regional gymnastics centre has already been named in LOCOG's official Pre Games Training camp guide for London 2012.

Cllr Stephen Horgan, Deputy Leader of the council, says:
"This is a transformational project for sport, healthy living and the promotion of active lifestyles in the Basildon District and across the region. We can be proud that we will be creating a facility that will include the only 50 metre pool in Essex and a regional gymnastics centre for gymnasts from novice to Olympian standard. The most important point though is that the Sporting Village is for everybody from residents that want to lead an active life to competition athletes through to the Champions of the future.

The people of Basildon District deserve the best."

The Sporting Village will provide facilities for a wide range of sports, including athletics, swimming, diving, gymnastics, trampoline, badminton, netball, basketball, and 5 a side football. There will be a 50 metre competition size swimming pool with seating for 450 spectators. It will also boast a large sports hall, a regional gymnastics centre, fitness centre, multi purpose studio and climbing wall.

Cllr Stephen Castle, Essex county council cabinet member for education and the 2012 Games, says: "This is a vital project, not just for Basildon, but for Essex and the East of England as a whole, and is why we have been fully supportive of this project from the outset, both politically and financially. This regional facility will help to put Basildon on the sporting map, and will be a key facility in the lead up to London 2012 and beyond."

The scheme is being delivered through a 25-year agreement between Community Solutions for Leisure (CSL) and Basildon Council. CSL's construction partner Morgan Ashurst will build the new centre and Morgan Professional Services will carry out civil and structural engineering design and mechanical and electrical design. All three organisations are part of leading construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall. Collectively, they bring a wealth of experience of building leisure facilities and can provide specialist skills in design construction and investment.

The majority of the funding has come from Basildon District Council, with funding grants from Essex County Council, the HCA, Sport England and Veolia ES Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust.

Other facilities include six floodlit five-a-side artificial pitches, meeting and function rooms, a café and car parking. 12 national standard netball courts have already been completed, and Basildon rugby club also has planning permission to set up their new home at the park.

For more information, images, CGI's or interviews, please contact Adam Keating on 01268 294842 or email adam.keating@basildon.gov.uk.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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