Plans for a £12.5m Olympic-sized swimming pool for Sunderland -– which will be the first 50m pool in the north east – have recently been given the go-ahead by the local authority, following a £5m grant from Sport England last year.

The facility – which has been designed by Red Box Design Group – will offer a main pool and a diving pool, both of which have moveable floors to allow for high performance training and use by children or aqua aerobics classes.

The dive pool will feature two spring boards and 1m, 3m and 5m double-width diving platforms plus a surface agitation facility, which creates bubbles from below to help divers recognise the water surface and time their entry.

Sunderland City Council believes the pool will act as the regional hub for performance swimming, diving, synchronised swimming and water polo and aims to attract regional and national competitions to the city.

The facility features 250 poolside seats for competitors and officials and a further 500 spectator seats. It will also offer drug testing, rooms for coaches and a plunge pool to assist muscle recovery.

Work is due to start on site in August, with completion scheduled for spring 2007. Details: www.sunderland.gov.uk