Plymouth's main pools close as Life Centre opens

Plymouth Pavilions ice rink will remain open

Plymouth's two main public swimming pools have closed.

Central Park and the Plymouth Pavilions fun pool closed at the end of business on Sunday to make way for the new £46.5m Life Centre leisure complex.

About 50 people who work at the Pavilions will transfer to Everyone Active which is operating the Life Centre from Thursday.

Theatre Royal (Plymouth) Ltd which operates the Pavilions, said up to 20 people would lose their jobs.

The Pavilions' ice rink will continue to operate seven days a week until at least September.

The city council is looking for developers to buy the Pavilions site and provide new ice skating facilities.

The council said it would be making an announcement on the future of the site in May.

The Life Centre has a 10-lane, 50m swimming pool; a diving pool, a multi-purpose sports hall, a 15m climbing wall and bowling area.

Plymouth also has a council-run 25m swimming pool in Plympton and two open-air swimming pools at Mount Wise and Tinside.

A city council-run pool at Seaton closed in 2006.