Sportspark, the University of East Anglia's (UEA) multi-million pound sports facility, has submitted plans for a £2.8m expansion.

As previously reported by Leisure Opportunities, the plans include an Olympic-standard gymnastics centre and an expansion of the four-pitch SoccerPark.

If planning permission is granted, the three new seven-a-side football pitches will be open before Christmas and the gymnastics centre by next summer.

Mr Nicholls, director of PE and sport, said: ?Our success over the last decade has enabled us to reinvest nearly £9m in the last seven years in new facilities. The gymnastics centre will enable us to meet the huge unsatisfied demand for gymnastics in the area and open up Sportspark to a large number of new young people.

?The SoccerPark extension will meet the growing demand for casual, non-league seven-a-side football."