Nottinghamshire to get first 50m swimming pool

The Harvey Hadden Leisure Centre will close during the redevelopment

The pool will have a movable platform at its centre which will split it into two

The city council will spend £13.5m on the project

Plans for Nottinghamshire's first 50m swimming pool are expected to be approved by the city council.

The £13.5m facility will be built at the Harvey Hadden Leisure Centre in the west of Nottingham.

It will replace the nearby Beechdale Swimming Centre when it is opened in Spring 2015.

The council said it would be a "first class facility" that will attract sports clubs and athletes from across the East Midlands.

The nearest 50m pools to Nottinghamshire are at Loughborough University, in Leicestershire, and the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, in Sheffield.

Derby City Council is also planning to build its first 50m swimming pool as part of a £54m leisure plan.

The new facility at Harvey Hadden will also have a gym, health suite, spa pool, a steam room and sauna.

Councillor David Trimble, from Nottingham City Council, said: "The new centre will meet the needs and expectations of the local community as well as sports clubs and athletes from across the region that will look to use this first class facility."

The authority said funding for the project was secured through its leisure centre transformation programme.

Approval for the redevelopment will be sought at the city council's executive board meeting on 16 April.