Plans approved for Christchurch's newest public pool

A new $22 million pool for Christchurch's east is a step closer after the approval of concept designs for the facility.

The complex will include a 25-metre lane pool with a deep-water area set aside for ‘bombing’, a family spa, learn to swim pool, toddlers pool and a wet play area.

There will also be community meeting rooms, a kitchen inside the complex, and outside there will be two tennis courts and two basketball courts.

The Linwood-Central-Heathcote Community Board approved the concept designs at the end of last month with Christchurch City Council staff now begin preparing tender documents so a main contractor could be appointed.

Community Board Chair Sally Buck said the pool complex would be a fixture in many lives for generations to come, telling Stuff “there's been a buzz about this project for a while now, but it's moved to another level now that people can visualise exactly how it will look, feel and function.

"The message we're getting now is that the community just wants to start using it as soon as possible."

The land, already owned by the Council, situated at the eastern end of Linwood Park, previously housed a council nursery and tennis courts.

Community leaders have been calling for a pool in the Linwood/Woolston area since before the last decade with principals from eight schools in the area telling the Council in 2016 of the urgent need for the facility.

19 schools are located within 4.4 kilometres of the site.

Work on the facility is expected to get under way next year with a completion date of 2021.

Images: The design for the $22 million Linwood Pool.