Swimming club 'delighted' with plans for Olympic-sized pool

Users of Templemore sports complex in Londonderry have welcomed plans for a £100m upgrade, including the creation of an Olympic-size, eight-lane swimming pool.

The project was endorsed at a special meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council and will see the redevelopment of the leisure centre, which was built in the 1970s.

In addition, there would be a separate leisure and teaching pool, a toddler pool, and water recreation features such as family flumes and a splash area.

Paddy Cosgrove, from the City of Derry swimming club, said it would make a massive difference to swimmers in the north west.

Cosgrove said the Olympic-sized pool would help club members with training.

"We have no facility close to us where we can do what is known as long-course training," he said.

"So we are delighted that we will be able to do that."

Cosgrove said the club is currently restricted in the number of hours they can train due to other swimming lessons.

"We are currently using three facilities across the city, so we are hoping this new pool will give us additional time."

Dearbhla Duffy, who regularly uses the facilities at Templemore, said it will be great for the area.

"I think it's about time that we see it in our community," she said.

"I'm at the gym every day, and I am looking forward to the big pool."

Vincent Devenney has been using the Templemore Sports Complex since the Covid-19 lockdown rules were lifted.

He said the investment was long overdue and very much needed for that side of the city, given the population it serves.

"The better the facility is, the more likely it is to attract new people, so it can only be positive and generate more interest among young people in sports and exercise."

Currently, the Aurora aquatic and leisure complex in Bangor, County Down, is the only pool in Northern Ireland considered Olympic-sized.

Templemore Sports Complex will also house an international-standard eight-court sports hall, a state-of-the-art fitness suite, wellness spa, spin studio and squash courts.

Outdoor facilities will include a full-sized floodlit 3G GAA pitch, a dedicated 3G football pitch, three grass football pitches, a refurbished floodlit running track and extensive walking trails.

Councillors were told that a team of consultants had already begun work on the project.

A competitive tender process is also underway for the disposal of surplus lands at Buncrana Road to help support the wider development.

Design teams are currently reviewing concept plans which aim to reduce the project's whole-life carbon footprint.

The council said it will fund the £100m capital costs through long-term rates investment.

A formal public consultation on the proposed outdoor facilities is scheduled for early 2026, with a full planning application expected to be submitted later this year.

Subject to statutory approvals, the complex is currently targeted to open in 2030/31.

Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Ruairí McHugh, who chaired the meeting, said the approval marked a major milestone for the city.

"The endorsement of the Templemore masterplan represents a significant step towards delivering a world-class leisure facility for our community," he said.

"This development will meet the growing needs of our sports clubs and residents while setting new standards for sustainable, net-zero public infrastructure."