A CITY'S new swimming pool and fitness complex is on course for its scheduled summer opening, and on budget.

The baths and general sports development, in Freeman's Place, Durham, was this week named as Freeman's Quay Leisure Centre, by the city council.

It will feature an eight-lane 25-metre swimming and diving pool, with retractable floor, learner pool, dance studio, sports hall and state-of-the-art fitness centre.

City council officials gave guest parties a sneak preview of the development over the weekend to view the progress.

But they stressed the £12.5m development is on course to be open by the scheduled target date of the first weekend in July.

The development, alongside Durham Sixth Form Centre and the city's new Walkergate, leisure/hotel complex, will include three specially-commissioned pieces of public art.

It will also be a shared-use facility with the sixth form centre, who will have sole use of the sports hall until 4.30pm on a Monday to Friday during term time.

The city council hopes to team up with local swimming and sports clubs to develop further partnership arrangements, while the intended price structure will be designed to encourage maximum use by all groups across the city.

Although the city council will oversee the centre, the fitness suite, which has a target membership of 1,500, will be jointly run with the private leisure company, Competition Line.

Once open, the centre will replace the existing 1930s' built city baths, on Elvet Waterside.