LEIGH is to get its own swimming pool - 30 years since the old public baths were axed.

A state-of-the-art 25m pool will be included in the Leigh Sports Village complex at Pennington and could be open as early as January 2007.

And as part of radical new leisure and culture plans for the borough, Leigh will become only the second town in the country to provide free swimming for all children under the age of 16.

Under the 'Getting Wigan Active' slogan the Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust has set out a five to 10 year programme of investment and regeneration to transform the face of council-owned facilities and services to meet the demands of modern life.

The multi-million pound strategy will encourage greater use of council facilities and at the same time re-invigorate the cultural life of the borough.

The plan also addresses the investment needs of leisure and cultural services in the borough and provides an alternative to spending millions on outdated and under-used facilities just to keep them open.

Leigh's new public pool will replace Atherton Baths and, eventually, Tyldesley Baths.

It is proposed that Atherton Baths in Mayfield Street will close by Christmas this year with Tyldesley to be axed by January 2007. Existing users will be able to transfer to Howe Bridge Sports Centre or the new pool at Leigh.

The £100,000 saving made in the closure of Atherton Baths will be used to fund free swimming for all under 16s, all the year round, starting next April.

Leigh's old public baths in Silk Street closed in 1977 as part of a cost-cutting measure.

The borough's new vision for sport and physical activity will see the formation of two centres of excellence, one at Leigh Sports Village and the other at Robin Park, Wigan; three premier sites at Howe Bridge Sports Centre, Hindley Leisure Centre and Ashton Leisure Centre and replace Wigan's International Pool with a new purpose-built complex.

Cultural improvements will see further investment in Leigh Library and the Turnpike Centre.

Wigan Pier will be transformed into a 'cultural quarter' with a new 500-seat performance venue.

Members of Wigan Council's Cabinet are on expected to agree to the proposals.

Trevor Barton, a member of the Leisure and Culture Board Trust, said: "I'm delighted to see the plans for a 25m pool at Leigh Sports Village. During our lengthy consultation with residents, we found that this was the missing element that most people wanted.

"Leigh has been without a swimming pool for 30 years and it will be the icing on the cake as far as the Sports Village is concerned.

"Free swimming for everyone up to the age of 16 is also very welcome. We would be only the second town in the country to do this and it would be a major step towards tackling child obesity.

"While I know that there will be disappointment at the closure of the other pools, I'm sure the Trust will be supportive to any displaced swimming club and to do its best to find them alternative water space."

Lord Smith, Leader of Wigan Council, says: "We believe there is an urgent need for a fundamental reappraisal of our leisure facilities. These are issues that must be addressed.

"They will require some tough decisions to be taken if we are to create new, better quality and better maintained council-owned facilities."

But so far there has been no interest from outside businesses for a cinema or bowling alley.

Mr Barton adds: "I think it likely that we will be playing rugby and soccer in the new stadium some time during the season of 2007. By the same token it is hoped that the first students for the rebuilt college will be on site at start of the academic year in September 2006.

"During the intervening time we might receive interest in building a cinema and we certainly can accommodate it."

Leigh MP Andy Burnham said: "During Sports Village consultations people's reaction was that it was a good scheme but they asked where was the swimming pool.

"I hope this shows we've done our best to listen and design a scheme which has something for everyone.

"Restoring a pool to Leigh rights an historic wrong and will be a great asset to the whole community."