Plans to develop a £33m (US$43.3m, €38.3m) sports and health facility at the University of Strathclyde have been given the go-ahead by Glasgow city planners.

The sport, health and wellbeing facility, which will be on Cathedral Street in the city, will include: a 25m, six-lane swimming pool; sauna and steam rooms, along with four physio consultation rooms offering a range of services including physiotherapy, massage, nutrition consultation; a fitness suite and conditioning room; 100 cardiovascular stations and doubling the provision of resistance equipment; bigger male and female changing rooms.

Construction is scheduled to begin in November, and the building is expected to open in summer 2018.

Professor Sir Jim McDonald, university principal, said: “At Strathclyde, our students and staff are at the heart of everything we do.

"Together, we are creating a first-class facility that will provide health and wellbeing benefits for the university community, as well as improving participation in sport more generally.

"This new facility is the latest part of our campus transformation, helping us to continue to attract and retain the very best local and global talent. We are delighted Glasgow City Council has supported our plans, and we look forward to opening this exciting new building."

The fitness centre is the latest in new facilities being created at Strathclyde, bringing the university's investment in its campus to more than £600m this decade.