The development of a new multi-million pound sports complex in Basildon, Essex, has reached the next stage after work to construct the venue's steel structure was completed. Basildon District Council (BDC) has announced that water testing has now started on Basildon Sporting Village's 50m pool, with the concrete lining to be filled with water to test its integrity before tiling and rendering can begin. The water testing phase will take

The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has confirmed that all permanent venues at the Olympic Park are now under construction with the start of work at Eton Manor. Mansells Construction Services has been appointed to deliver the new Eton Manor venue, which will provide aquatics training facilities during the 2012 Olympic Games with three full-size, temporary pools. A temporary synchronised swimming pool and water polo pool will also be created, before

London-based Wilkinson Eyre Architects has submitted plans for a new £17m swimming pool complex in Worthing, West Sussex, to replace the town's Aquarena venue. The proposals, which are likely to be considered by planning officials at Worthing Borough Council (WBC) in September, incorporate a six-lane, 25m competition-standard swimming pool and an indoor leisure pool. A combined learner/diving pool with 1m (3.3ft) and 3m (9.8ft) boards; a health and fitness centre;

Elea Golf Club near Paphos, Cyprus, will be launched later this year in what is billed as one of the most important new course openings in Europe in recent years. Designed by six-time major winner, Sir Nick Faldo, the par 71 course is located 8km from the international airport and will be the centrepiece of Elea Estate, a luxury resort development. The Elea estate will boast luxurious villas and apartments,

Construction company ISG has begun work on the £4.3m rowing centre at The Graham Sports Centre in Maiden Castle, which is owned by Durham University. The centre is the main site for the university's sports teams and and ISG is set to develop existing rowing amenities, as well as refurbishing and extending the building to accommodate additional sporting facilities. ISG will build two steel frame extensions onto the sports centre,

New facilities have opened at a leisure centre in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, after work on the first £1.3m phase of a wider refurbishment of the venue was completed. Lakeland Forum now boasts a new entrance, an enhanced reception area, a viewing gallery overlooking the 25m, six-lane swimming pool and additional facilities for disabled users as part of stage one. Improvements have also included the refurbishment of the Erne room and

Bristol City Football Club's (BCFC) plans for a new 30,000-seat stadium at Ashton Vale were given a boost after councillors approved proposals for a new access road to the venue. North Somerset Council's planning and regulatory committee unanimously voted in favour of the access plans, which were initially rejected by the local authority in December last year. The government has already said that it will not intervene in a decision

A new £13m leisure centre is set to be developed in Rushden, Northamptonshire, after the scheme was given the green light by the local authority. East Northamptonshire Council (ENC) approved plans for the new Manor Park Leisure Centre, having originally deferred its decision last month. The venue will incorporate a six-lane, 25m swimming pool and teaching pool and a fitness suite, as well as exercise studios and leisure water facilities

Tottenham Hotspur Football Club (THFC) has unveiled its revised plans for the Northumberland Development Project (NDP), which is set to include a new stadium. The proposals - due to be submitted to Haringey Council - have been improved following consultation with English Heritage and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, as well as other agencies. In addition to a new 56,250-seat stadium, the plans now boast a redesigned

London's Olympic Park site could house a new urban residential field studies centre after the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) struck a deal with the Field Studies Council (FSC). The two parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore the possibility of establishing the facility at the site once the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are concluded. Under the proposals for the field studies centre, students would have

Work on the second phase of a £12.6m renovation at Leatherhead Leisure Centre in Surrey is expected to be completed on 7 June, according to the local authority. Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) has confirmed a range of new facilities are set to open on the weekend of 12-13 June, including new first-floor male and female gym changing facilities. Sauna, steam and therapy rooms; a reception area and a café

London-based contractor Leadbitter Group has been awarded a contract to design and construct the new £23m Becontree Heath Leisure Centre, London. Working to original designs drawn up by S&P Architects, the new complex will include a 100-station fitness suite and two workout studios with dedicated changing facilities. Becontree Heath Leisure Centre will also feature a 10-lane, 25m swimming pool and learner pool; a four-court sports hall; a 500-seat spectator area

A major new £12.5m swimming pool and fitness complex - The Edge - has opened its doors at the University of Leeds in West Yorkshire. Delivered by Hertfordshire-based company Willmott Dixon, The Edge has been designed by S&P Architects and includes a new 200-station fitness suite equipped by Technogym. The centre also boasts an eight-lane, 25m swimming pool, with moveable floor to create depths of up to 2m (6.6ft). The

The former 3-pool swimming baths at Knowsley on Merseyside are to be demolished to make way for a new shopping development. The findings of a consultation document sent by Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council to residents and businesses in Kirkby asking for their views on the future development of the town, revealed that seven out of 10 of the respondents rated new retail facilities and a food superstore as their top

A new £25m leisure complex being developed in Harlow, Essex, will not be completed until mid-to-late April after the contractor delivering the scheme reported further delays. Forming part of the wider Harlow Gateway regeneration project, the Harlow Leisurezone was initially due to be handed over to Gateway partners by Christmas 2009 but is now not set to open until May. An issue with the installation of fire dampers meant Abingdon-based

Hadley Wood Youth Trust (HWYT) has secured planning permission for new community sports facilities at Hadley Wood, north London. Designed by AndArchitects, the scheme will include the development of a full-size, floodlit artificial grass pitch, sports pavilion with four changing rooms, an education suite, kitchen, multi-function room and a number of grass pitches. As well as the local community, the facilities will be used by a number of further education

More than 10 million litres of water are being used to test the three concrete pools at the London 2012 Aquatics Centre, which remains on track for completion in 2011. Testing of the dive pool and training pool has been completed, with the competition pool due to be filled before work starts to seal and line the pools with 180,000 tiles. Olympic Delivery Authority chief executive David Higgins said: "The

A new £19.1m tourist attraction is set to be created at the Olympic Park in London after plans for the 115m (377ft)-tall sculpture - the ArcelorMittal Orbit - were commissioned. London-based artist Anish Kapoor was selected by mayor Boris Johnson, Olympics minister Tessa Jowell and ArcelorMittal chair and chief executive officer Lakshmi Mittal for the scheme. The sculpture - set to become the largest in the UK - will be

Olympic Stadium poised for Dubai move A consortium of Middle East-based investors have launched an audacious bid to move London's Olympic Stadium to Dubai after the 2012 Games. The Al-Shera consortium claimed the proposal would offer "an effective solution" to an ongoing debate over what the stadium should be used for in legacy mode. West Ham United Football Club (WHUFC) has already signalled its plans to move to the East

Britain's elite track and field athletes are set to be given a boost in their preparations for London 2012 with the installation of the Olympic track at two training locations. A replica of the Mondo FX track due to be installed at London's Olympic Stadium will be fitted at both UK Athletics' (UKA) National Performance Centres in Lee Valley and Loughborough. The London Marathon Charitable Trust's (LMCT) has agreed to

Work is due to get underway on the construction of a new multi-use sports pavilion in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, which will become the new home of a number of clubs. A sod-cutting ceremony is scheduled to take place on 26 March to mark the start of work, which is due for completion in late summer. Designed by Norwich-based NPS Group, the facility will be built by construction group Irwins at

The new £6.44m Djanogly Community Leisure Centre (DCLC) in Hyson Green, Nottingham, will open to the public on 6 April. The new facility will replace the existing Noel Street Leisure Centre which is set to close as the new centre opens. Facilities at the DCLC will include a 50-station fitness suite equipped by Technogym, a multi-activity studio, a 25m swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms. The scheme forms part of

Disabled sports fans are set to benefit from improved access at three railway stations near to 2012 Olympic venues under plans confirmed by the Department for Transport (DfT). Slough, Wembley Central and Hackney Central stations are all set to be upgraded in time for the the London Games in order to offer step-free access under the Government's Access for All programme. Around £2.5m will be spent on upgrading Slough station,

An Aberdeen swimming pool complex, which was first opened in 1937 but was forced to shut in 2008, has been put on the market by the local authority. Property consultancy Ryden has been tasked with securing the sale of the B-listed Bon Accord Baths by Aberdeen City Council (ACC), which was designed by Alexander McRobbie of the City Architects Department. The two-storey centre on Justice Mill Lane includes reception areas,

Plans for a major multi-million pound revamp of Old Trafford cricket stadium in Manchester have been given the green light by Trafford Council's planning committee. Government Office North West will now decide whether to formally approve the project, which has been put forward by the Old Trafford Partnership - comprising Ask Developments, Lancashire County Cricket Club (LCCC) and Tesco. Plans for the transformation of a 50-acre (20.2-hectare) site include a

Bristol City Council (BCC) will determine whether to approve plans for a new 30,000-seat stadium at Ashton Vale after the government revealed it would not intervene in the process. Bristol City Football Club (BCFC) has welcomed the Government Office for the South West's announcement, which means the council will have sole responsibility for deciding the scheme's fate. Planning officers have already 'minded to approve' the development of the club's new

Milton Keynes Council (MKC) has approved plans for the development of a new community sports pavilion on playing fields off Cranborne Avenue, Westcroft. Revised proposals for the project were submitted for consideration by the council in December 2009 after initial plans for a two-storey development were refused in October. The planned one-storey pavilion is set to boast four changing rooms fitted with showers, officials' changing rooms and a small social