COUNCIL AGREES TO BUILD INTERNATIONAL 50M POOL
A brand new 50m pool is to be built in Corby after councilors
gave the scheme the green light following consultation with
swimmers in the area and the Amateur Swimming Association
(ASA).
The 50m International Pool was given the go-ahead on Tuesday
by members of Corby Borough Council's One Corby Policy Committee
and will provide a regional and national asset for competitive
swimmers and divers.
A striking design for the Northamptonshire pool has been
drawn up by S&P Architects, the firm responsible for the
Manchester and Dublin Aquatic Centres, which is also supporting
Zaha Hadid Architects in the design of the 2012 London Olympic
Swimming Pool.
In the build-up to the 2012 Olympics, the pool will provide
a huge opportunity to promote Corby as the training centre
of choice for smaller Olympic nations. More importantly it
will encourage higher levels of participation and improved
health awareness for everyone in Corby.
The pool is the spearhead for the Borough's exciting and
successful Corby Regeneration in Sport Partnership (CRISP),
which is delivering the best sports and leisure facilities
in the region including a newly refurbished county-standard
athletics track, £1m plus investment in the upgrade
of football facilities at Rockingham Triangle, a new £1m
pavilion for a Football/Multi-sports Centre at West Glebe
and an international quality Skate Park and performance sports
facility to replace Adrenalin Alley as part of the exciting
urban extension at Priors Hall.
The new pool is part of a masterplan for Corby's flagship
Parkland Gateway Regeneration project on the edge of the town
centre, next to 90 acres of ancient woodland and meadow. The
project includes the creation of a new civic hub containing
an arts centre, "one-stop shop" for Council services,
new library, register office, civic suite, council chamber
and a new town square.
In total over £100m will be invested in Corby's Town
Centre redevelopment programme over the next five years, including
a new £35m, 20-unit shopping mall, Willow Place, which
is already under construction and planned to open in 2007.
The regeneration process is being led by the North Northants
Development Company and aims to double the Borough's population
in just 25 years. The pool as well as other leisure and cultural
facilities are central to its achievement.
Welcoming the decision Councillor Pat Fawcett, Leader of
Corby Borough Council, said: "I'm delighted we've had
the courage to go for a 50m pool. We've had great support
from local people, the swimming club and the Amateur Swimming
Association so I'm really pleased at the decision tonight
- it really shows how ambitious and forward-thinking we are
in Corby."
Noel Winter, Facilities Officer for the ASA, said: "We're
absolutely delighted with the announcement that this important
facility has been given the go-ahead. The ASA has supported
it from the outset and we're excited about the opportunities
it will present for the area.
"It will be integral to supporting and promoting swimming
in the East Midlands region while providing a real focus point
for swimming and diving."
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