Sunderland Aquatic Centre

Sunderland Aquatic Centre is an indoor sports complex next to the Stadium of Light in the city of Sunderland, England. It contains an Olympic-size swimming pool, a diving pool and a gymnasium. It is the only full Olympic-standard pool in North East England between Glasgow and Leeds.

Sunderland Aquatic Centre
54.914°N 1.390°W / 54.914; -1.390
LocationStadium Park, Sunderland, SR5 1SU
Opened18 April 2008
Operated byEveryone Active
Owned bySunderland City Council
ArchitectRed Box
TypeIndoor
Cost£19.8m GBP
Size50 x 25 metres (Olympic-standard)
Depth2m (adjustable)
WebsiteOfficial website
Features
Additional 25m x 12.5m, 4m adjustable depth diving pool with 1m, 3m and 5m boards, 500 seat viewing gallery
Facilities
Gym, Cafe, Children's soft-play, multi-function activity rooms
Due for temporary closure in 2019 to carry out roof repairs

The centre was opened on 18 April 2008[1] with a fireworks and lights display. Anne, Princess Royal visited the Aquatic Centre on 22 January 2009 and gave it a second 'opening' ceremony. A third ceremony was held in the presence of the Mayor of Sunderland Mary Smith later that year.

Entrance to the Aquatic Centre with the Stadium of Light in the background

It replaced the swimming pool and gymnasium facilities at the Crowtree Leisure Centre which was opened in 1978 by Prince Charles. The pool at Crowtree had a tropical beach style with a slide, two diving pools and a wave machine, and was not an Olympic-standard pool. The centre was closed to the general public in October 2011 and demolished in 2013.[2]

On 16 June 2012, the Olympic torch was carried through the Aquatic Centre as part of the 2012 Summer Olympics torch relay.

In February 2017, Sunderland City Council announced that the centre would have to be closed for up to nine months to make structural repairs to the roof, after leaks were reported. They also confirmed they were taking legal action against builder Balfour Beatty.[3] In August 2018, an out-of-court agreement was reached, and Balfour Beatty committed to carry out a programme of work to repair the roof.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Sunderland Aquatic Centre - Leisure / Swimming Pool in Sunderland, Sunderland". NewcastleGateshead. 1 January 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  2. "Watch as Sunderland's Crowtree Leisure Centre comes crashing down". Sunderland Echo. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  3. "Legal action over leaks at £20m pool". BBC News. 17 February 2017. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  4. "Talks under way over Sunderland Aquatic Centre roof repairs after out of court deal". Retrieved 9 November 2018.


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