Shanghai Sports Bureau (SSB) has announced its plans to develop 50 new swimming pools in suburban areas over the next five years, as part of the city's 12th Five Year Plan 2011-15.

Some of the proposed facilities will be built with the ability to be converted into basketball or tennis courts during the winter, with the scheme designed to meet local growing demand. A nationwide survey recently found that children in Shanghai ranked below average in terms of physical fitness, with office workers also among the least active.

Four-fifths of sports facilities at middle and primary schools are already open to the public, with the five-year plan expecting that number to rise to 85 per cent by 2015. SSB has also found that residents have claimed it is hard to find swimming pools, while the price of tickets is also dependent on location.