Tiling of the Olympic-sized swimming pool at the new Plymouth Life Centre got under way this week as Council Leader Vivien Pengelly and Councillor Peter Brookshaw laid the first floor tiles.

Around 1,075 square metres of ceramic tiles will be used in the main 50-metre pool and around 11,000 square metres of tiles are being used across the whole project including the changing village, toilets, leisure pool, dive pool and main pool.

Main contractor Balfour Beatty filled, tested and drained the main pool and dive pool back in March with each taking around one week to fill. The team then rendered the pools in preparation for the tiling operation, which is estimated to take around two weeks to complete. The leisure pool has just been tested and drained – tiling of this and the dive pool will start in the next few weeks.

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Councillor Brookshaw, the Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure, Culture and Sport, said: "This is another exciting and tangible milestone in the construction of the new Plymouth Life Centre. The tiling of the pool is a really symbolic part in the overall project and the majority of the external work is now completed, with work starting to focus on the internal facilities. Every stage is another step closer to the opening of the centre, which will provide some of the best leisure and sport facilities in the South West."

The tiles, originally from Germany and blue and white in colour, are being supplied and fitted by Wellswood Ceramics in Torquay – a subcontractor employed by Balfour Beatty. Around eight men are working on the tiling operation including a work experience student from City College Plymouth.

Elsewhere on site the structural steelwork frame has been completed above the dive pool allowing the remaining roof work to get under way. Many of the external and internal walls have been finished with over 175 men currently working on-site.

On completion, the Plymouth Life Centre's swimming and diving facilities will offer a family leisure pool with flumes, 'beach entry' and a bubble pool. The 10-lane, 50-metre Olympic-sized pool will be the only one of its kind in Devon and Cornwall and will feature moveable floors and submersible booms. The dive pool will be one of the top four in the country and there will also be a dry-side training facility for divers.

(CD/KMcA)