EXCITING plans for an eagerly-awaited multi-million pound sports centre for Cambourne are back on track with a planning application now submitted. If given the go-ahead by South Cambridgeshire District Council planners, it is hoped construction work on

EXCITING plans for an eagerly-awaited multi-million pound sports centre for Cambourne are back on track with a planning application now submitted.

If given the go-ahead by South Cambridgeshire District Council planners, it is hoped construction work on the sate-of-the-art sports and leisure centre will start in the autumn.

The building work is estimated to take one year.

It will consist of a sports hall, two squash courts, dance studio, gym, a fitness room, a health suite, changing rooms and a bar.

A new pedestrian link is proposed to connect the building centrally to the pedestrian footway on Back Lane.

The Cambourne Consortium of Developers is working with the centre operator, Active Nation to look into providing a swimming poll in a second phase of development.

According to planning documents, the centre would have the capacity to grow as Cambourne expands.

The plans state: "Recognising that as Cambourne grows, there will be greater demand for sporting facilities, the building's location should allow for future expansion.

The sports centre has been a long time coming and it had been hoped that it would be completed and open to the public last year. But developers said that timescale became "unachievable". Prior to that, the project was stalled after a previous operator pulled out.

Cambourne parish councillor, Cllr Roger Hume welcomed the latest news but said it was long overdue.

He said: "This is long awaited and it's very disappointing that it has been delayed for so long. The plans are for the very minimum that the developer is required to provide in terms of the Section 106 legal agreement. Hopefully it will be possible to obtain grants to enhance the facility at a later date."

He added: "The developer is still required to provide an enhanced pavilion and this is just as important as Cambourne teams do not have any proper changing facilities.