Plans for a multi-million pound regional sports and leisure centre in Plymouth's Central Park have been approved by the City Council's Planning Committee.

At £46.5 million, the Life Centre scheme will see the city's biggest ever investment in leisure facilities and underline Plymouth's credentials as a premier venue for local, national and even international sporting events.

Designed to meet the city's sporting needs well into the 21st century, the Life Centre will excite and inspire people of all ages and abilities and offer a varied programme of affordable sessions that will help increase levels of sport and physical activity and improve the overall health and fitness of local residents.

As the best leisure facility of its kind in the South West and one of the country's leading centres of aquatic excellence, it will also attract top sportsmen and women such as Plymouth-born Tom Daley, newly crowned World Diving Champion, as well as nurture emerging young talent.

Facilities will include:

• A family leisure pool with flumes, 'beach entry' and bubble pool
• An innovative climbing zone with 15-metre wall, aerial assault course, bouldering and abseiling
• An eight-lane bowls centre which will be one of the best in the region
• A 12-court multi-use sports hall
• One of the largest fitness suites in the city, with 150 stations
• A 10-lane, 50-metre swimming pool with moveable floors and submersible 'booms' allowing flexible use
• One of the top four diving pools in the country, also offering a moveable floor so it can be used as a standard pool
• A dryside training facility for competitive divers
• A relaxing oasis with sauna, steam rooms and showers
• Multi-purpose areas for dance and martial arts, which can also be used for a crèche and soft play
• Youth gym, squash, training and studio spaces

Lead designers Archial developed the scheme with engineering consultants ARUP, in consultation with Council officers and more than 50 different stakeholder groups, including professional sports associations, Sport England, the University of Plymouth, UCP Marjon, local clubs, schools, local user groups, the Disabled Access Network and the Plymouth Sports Forum, as well as local public transport companies.

Their aim was to create a building which would be a focus of community pride and a major landmark on the route into the city centre from the North. It will act as a gateway to Central Park, providing a high quality public space which will play a key role in the park's wider regeneration plans.

Nigel Marsh, Partner at EC Harris said: "Planning permission is a key milestone in delivering the project and this outcome reflects the hard work of the whole project team to-date. The team are now focusing on the contractor appointment and starting construction works on-site."

Planning consent is subject to a number of conditions as detailed in the Life Centre planning report.

A contractor is expected to be appointed in November work will begin on site at the end of the year. The Life Centre is scheduled to open in September 2011.

(CD/GK)