The funding partners who have made the Basildon Sporting Village possible have hailed the 'fantastic achievement' as the £38 million facility opened its doors to the public.

A full day of sport and activities was headlined by gymnastics troupe and the 2010 winners of Britain's Got Talent, Spelbound, as thousands of local residents packed the new facility that includes the county's only 50 metre swimming pool, 8 court sports hall, gymnastics centre, fitness suite, climbing wall and studios.

Councillor Tony Ball, Leader of the Council, said: "I am absolutely delighted that the Sporting Village has opened, after 18 months of construction. It is a fantastic achievement from everyone involved to deliver it on time and on budget. Having toured around the site many times since October 2009, it is wonderful to see the doors open to the public for the first time.


"This is absolutely for the benefit of our community and will transform the sporting chances of so many people throughout the borough, whether they aspire to be an elite athlete or just want to exercise more. I am so thrilled that we have achieved this with our partners, and I cannot wait to see the positive impact this has on our community."

Essex County Council provided over £8 million in funding for the scheme and have been fully behind the project from the outset. The project has also been supported with a £5m investment from the Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) Thames Gateway Programme.

The Basildon Sporting Village project is being delivered through a 25-year agreement between Community Solutions for Leisure (CSL) and Basildon Council. CSL's construction partner Morgan Sindall built the new centre and Morgan Professional Services carried out civil and structural engineering design and mechanical and electrical design. All are part of leading construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall. Collectively, they bring a wealth of experience of building leisure facilities and can provide specialist skills in design construction and investment.

Ernie Battey, Executive Chairman of Morgan Sindall Investments (MSIL) said: "We were delighted to be the chosen partner to work with Basildon Council on this exciting project and share all partners pride in its completion. The Sporting Village will not only put Basildon on the map as a training venue for the London 2012 Olympics, but offer families, children and adults the real opportunity to put sport and well-being at the heart of their leisure activities."

(CD)