Plans for the construction of a new £46.5m regional sports and leisure centre in Plymouth, Devon, have been given the green light by planners at Plymouth City Council (PCC).

The new Life Centre will include a family leisure pool with flumes, beach entry and a bubble pool, a climbing zone with a 15m (49.2ft) wall and aerial assault course, an eight-lane bowls centre and a 12-court multi-use sports hall. Facilities will also include a 150-station fitness suite, a 10-lane, 50m swimming pool with moveable floors and submersible boom, a diving pool, a dryside training facility for elite divers, multi-purpose areas for dance and martial arts and a youth gym, as well as a sauna, a steamroom and changing facilities.

Located in the city's Central Park, the Life Centre - which will replace the Mayflower Centre - will boast a café and foyer area for park users, while a transport hub will provide facilities for bus passengers, pedestrians and cyclists. Funding for the project has been secured from a number of sources, including £2.5m from the University of Plymouth, while PCC will finance the majority of the cost through capital receipts gained from the sale of the council's assets.

Designs for the Life Centre have been drawn up by Archial in conjunction with engineering consultants Arup following consultation with a range of stakeholders, including Sport England, local sports associations and the University of Plymouth. PCC leader Vivien Pengelly said: "The dream of a flagship leisure facility for the people of Plymouth has been a long time in the planning and we are so thrilled to see this now becoming a reality.

"Meeting the leisure needs of the whole community - from families who want to get more active to future sporting champions - has been at the heart of developing the Life Centre scheme." A contractor is expected to be appointed in November to deliver the new Life Centre, which is scheduled to open in September 2011.