Construction work has commenced on Great Yarmouth's £26m Marina Centre, with the venue set to open its doors by Q3 2022.

Owned by Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC), the £26m centre will be developed as a catalyst for further investment and seafront regeneration in the town and will bolster the local economy, with 75 per cent of the project’s supply chain being drawn from SME companies in Great Yarmouth.

The project is funded by GYBC, with £2.5m secured from the Government’s Getting Building Fund, via New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, £1.6m from Sport England, and £500,000 from Pooled Business Rates.

The centre will house a six-lane 25m pool with full disabled access and suitable for competitions, a 'confidence water' area and learner pool with moveable floor, leisure water with fun play features, two water flumes and a splash pad.

There will also be a 100-station gym with views to the sea, a four-court multi-purpose sports hall, indoor climbing zone, a café and accessible multi-use flexible community spaces that can be used for a wide range of activities and services.

It will be built by main contractor Morgan Sindall Construction, with Barr + Wray providing the filtration water treatment plants for the pools.

The centre was initially scheduled to open in 2021, but progress has been delayed due to the pandemic.

GYBC councillor Carl Smith said: “The new Marina Centre will benefit the visitor economy and borough as both a year-round anchor seafront attraction and an important community hub for the promotion of indoor and outdoor physical activity.

“Despite the challenges of coronavirus, which has unavoidably impacted timescales on such a large and complex project, this facility is important to Great Yarmouth’s recovery journey, supporting both economic and physical health, and the council has worked hard to keep driving forward project development and delivery.

Sport England director of property, Charles Johnston, added: “It is fantastic to see the start of construction on what will be a life-changing development for residents of Great Yarmouth.

“With funding support from Sport England as part of our continued work to help build more spaces and places which will help the nation to be active, the development of the Marina Centre will help those of all ages and abilities find a way to be active for generations to come.”