WORK on installing new yellow and purple fun flumes as the centepieces of Blackburn’s new swimming pool is underway.

It is the latest sign of rapid progress at the town’s £13.5million Sports and Leisure Centre near Feilden Street.

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The complex replaces 26-year-old Waves centre. A joint venture between the borough council and Blackburn College, it will provide students and residents with new swimming pools, a larger fitness suite, a dance/ aerobics studio, sauna and steam room and eight games courts.

The scheme will halve running costs of the existing Waves complex leading to lower prices for swimmers and other users.

The sports halls and some related facilities opened last month.

The swimming pools, originally due to open in September next year, are now ahead of schedule and expected to be ready late spring or early summer.

The council last night released new pictures of the flumes being installed showing the rapid progress being made on completing the leisure centre.

The two flumes will be at the heart of the Water Play Zone which includes a shallow water area and a range of moving water features to keep youngsters entertained.

The ‘speed’ and ‘family’ flumes will be a key feature, with the entrance boxes high up in the pool hall, before being routed outside the building on Nab Lane and coming back in to shallow ‘aqua-catchers’.

As well as a large six-lane pool, there will be a small pool with a movable floor to allow the depth to vary for toddler sessions and fitness swimmers.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough leisure boss Damian Talbot said: “We can see the progress being made on the flumes and they look fantastic.

“Work is now ahead of the schedule to open in September next year and I now expect the pools will open late spring or early summer.

“We have made sure that the fun element that residents made clear they wanted will be a big feature.

“This will be a big improvement on Waves.

“I cannot wait for the new centre to be fully open.”

The centre will be used by students during the day and residents in the evenings and weekend.