Basildon Council and Basildon Renaissance Partnership are putting together a funding package and planning application for a £35m sports village development at Gloucester Park in Essex.

Designed by S&P Architects, the 12,500sq m (135,000sq ft) centre would include a 50m Olympic swimming pool with boom and geometric floor; a 1,300sq m (14,000sq ft) gymnastics centre; 1,300sq m, eight-court sports hall; a 60-station gym; a 260sq m (2,800sq ft) multi-purpose hall; a spectators area; a climbing wall; meeting space; crèche; café and bar.

The council has already pledged £15m towards the development and hopes to receive further funding from Essex County Council, the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and the Department for Local Communities and Local Government.

“Thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money is currently being drained on propping up the district’s sports facilities, with no overall improvement in their standard,” said Councillor Anthony Hedley, cabinet member for leisure.

“We have a choice between continuing to fire-hose cash at our ailing infrastructure or taking a bold step to radically improve the quality and choice of facilities available to residents. Our aim is to build a complex that will give every resident the chance to take part in sport.”

If the project receives the necessary funding and planning permissions, work is expected to begin in 2007 and be opened to the public by 2009. Upon completion of the centre, the swimming pool at the southern end of Gloucester park and a nearby sports hall will close.

The council currently plans to operate the facility itself, although management options are being considered.

The sports village plans have received the backing of Sport England, although the council has not made a formal bid for funding from the organisation. Sport England’s senior planning officer, Roy Warren, said the scheme “offers the potential to provide a first-class multi-sports complex of regional importance that will meet the needs of the community and elite athletes”.

He also acknowledged that the sports village would address “local sports facility deficiencies” and could be used as a training camp for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Details: www.basildonrenaissance.com