Nov 16 2005

By Louise Acford

CRAWLEY'S new £37 million K2 leisure centre, in Brighton Road, Broadfield, opened to the public on Monday.

Facilities include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a 12-metre climbing wall and an athletics track.

And K2 bosses are hoping the features will attract Olympic athletes as they train for the 2012 Games in London.

Representatives from the Olympic Committee have already visited K2 and are making a return trip this week.

Peter Simpson, director of K2 architects S&P, said: "The team putting the Olympics together has already been down here and looked at it as part of the whole Olympic build."

He said the pool, one of only a few of its size in the London area, and Crawley's proximity to Gatwick, London and the M25, make it an ideal site for national teams to get some pre-Olympic training.

Aspiring athletes from local schools and clubs, including specialist sports school Thomas Bennett, will also be taking advantage of the facilities.

Spectator and judging areas make the centre a suitable venue for regional competitions as well.

Money for the project, which is expected to be used by one million visitors a year, was raised from the £32 million sale of the old leisure centre. The building will be demolished and flats will be built on the site.

A further £5 million was raised through land swaps.

Mr Simpson said: "What we're looking for is a centre which is accessible to everybody, reasonably priced and people will think it's of a good enough standard not to go to a private gym."

He said the centre will be self-sufficient, with revenue from the gym subsidising the swimming pool.

Other facilities at the site include a gymnastics training hall, two indoor bowls rinks, five squash courts, a creché, an artificial turf pitch and a multi-purpose sports hall which will also be used for exhibitions.

The 50-metre pool has a diving area, a moving floor to alter the depth and moving barriers - which make it possible for the pool to be used for several different activities at the same time.

Architects were in constant consultation with groups representing people with disabilities to ensure the centre is accessible to everyone.

The environmentally-friendly building took 18 months to build.

Peter Allen, project manager for Crawley Borough Council, said: "The environmental aspect has been one of the key aspirations of this job because the council is very committed to it. There is masses of natural light, there is comfort cooling not air conditioning and low energy lighting. The heating system is CHP (combined heat and power) which uses old heat to pre-heat new areas."

Some Crawley residents had complained about the new centre charging pensioners - who used the old centre for free.

But one pensioner, John Ruddock, 70, said he was so impressed he was happy to pay.

"It's lovely," he said. "I think it's really nice, so I don't mind having to pay."

The centre has a 50m pool which can be divided into sections

A £37m sports complex with an Olympic-size swimming pool opens in West Sussex on Monday.

K2 - which has a 12-metre climbing wall - took 18 months to build.

Crawley Borough Council raised funds by selling the old leisure centre for £32m and got £5m through land swaps with the county council.

Builders spent the weekend adding the finishing touches in time for the grand opening. The 2012 Olympic Committee is due to visit the complex this week.

The 50m pool has movable platforms which can be raised and lowered to separate the pool into parts for different groups to use.

'Lovely environment'

Crawley Swimming Club will use the pool and the whole complex will be used by the neighbouring specialist sports college, the Thomas Bennett Community College.

Liz Hartley, from Crawley Swimming Club, said: "It is a lovely environment.

"We have yet to see how hot it is, because swimming pools of course are notoriously hot, but it's lovely.

"I think the feel of it is good as you walk in, the tiles are attractive, and I hope it will be great."

The 12-metre climbing wall is said to be the highest in the region

In 2002, the borough council found a need to provide facilities for the community to fulfil its sporting potential.

The authority said that since Crawley Leisure Centre was built in 1964, the leisure centre had been extended and improved, but had reached the end of its useful life.

John Thraves, from Crawley Council, said: "The old leisure centre was demolished and we sold that to a housing company for £32m, and the rest came from land swaps with the county council.

"I am very pleased to tell rate-payers of Crawley that it has not cost them a penny."