Work on Essex's first Olympic-sized pool is set to begin later this year.

Building work on the £38m Basildon Sport Village, which will house the 50m pool, will begin in October if the council gives the final go-ahead for the project when it meets next week to discuss the plans.

The council is expected to appoint leisure development company Community Solutions for Leisure (CSL) to build the centre.

If the contract is awarded to CSL, building work will begin on 12 October 2009 with an opening date set for April 2011.

The sports village, which was given planning permission by central government back in March, will include a competition swimming pool, a 400-capacity spectator area, a learner pool, a multi-capable sports hall, gymnastics centre and a health and fitness club with 100 stations and a multi-purpose studio.

The village will also contain a selection of meeting rooms a climbing wall and café. Outdoor facilities will include six floodlit artificial turf pitches and an athletics track with 750 spectator capabilities.

Stephen Horgan, deputy leader of the council said: "This is a transformational project for sport, healthy living and the promotion of active lifestyles in the distict and across the region. We are proud that we will be creating a facility that will include the only 50m pool in Essex. The most important thing though is that the Sporting Village is for everybody."