A £55m sports centre is reportedly being planned by Cambridge University.

According to the Cambridge Evening News, the university said that it had drawn up plans for a new facility – including an Olympic-sized swimming pool – after the Cambridge University Students’ Union launched a campaign for more sports facilities.

The newspaper quoted a university spokesperson as saying: “In terms of all the squash and tennis courts and sports pitches owned by the colleges, together with the Fenners and the Wilberforce Road athletics track, Cambridge students probably have access to more facilities than most, but there is clear demand for a proper indoor multi-sport facility.

“The university has full planning permission for a £55m sports centre on the West Cambridge site, which would feature a 50m swimming pool, a sports hall, a gym, indoor tennis courts, squash courts and a rugby fives court.”

The university said that is now seeking an “eight figure gift” to allow the project to go ahead.