LEISURE bosses have hailed the beginning of a new era after Blackburn’s £13.5 million sports centre opened its doors to the public for the first time.

Visitors flooded to Blackburn Sports and Leisure Centre for its first full day after a two-year mission to bring new state-of-the-art facilities to the town.

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The Feilden Street venue replaces the much-loved Waves Water Fun Centre in Nab Lane, which is due to be demolished.

Parts of the site, funded by Blackburn with Darwen Council and Blackburn College, have been used by students since September but only opened to paying customers yesterday.

More than 1,000 members have already signed up and double Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer, Rebecca Adlington, will visit on March 20 for the official opening ceremony.

Centre manager Louise Hyde said: “The feedback we have had this morning has been amazing.

“We have seen it go from rubble to the built up site you see today. It is quite emotional actually. The staff and visitors so far have thought it is great.”

The council has contributed £8.5 million of capital in the scheme, with the remaining £5 million coming from the college.

Blackburn College curriculum manager Damian Stewart said 15 college staff and 32 council employees would help deliver a range of activities at the 53,000 square foot site.He said: “From the college’s point of view, this will increase the number of courses we can offer and should help attract more students going forward.

“We will be able to offer top-class sporting facilities as well asreal-life work experience opportunities for young people in the borough.”

The centre offers a six-lane 25 metre swimming pool, complete with two water slides and a children’s water fun zone.

It is also home to a dance and aerobics room, a spinning studio, a gym, two sports halls and a sports science lab.

Mum Megan Hodgson, 28, from Mill Hill, said her daughter, 15-week-old Lucy Hodgson, was a big fan of the new pools.

She said: “It’s a lot warmer than the old Waves, and the changing rooms are good as well.

“It’s more relaxing bringing her here and it’s nice having separate pools for the younger kids - you don’t have to worry about getting splashed.”

Gym user Peter Haworth, 71, added: “So far it looks great. I go to the gym three days a week and coming here is a lot better than the old place.”

The centre will have ties with sports clubs including Blackburn Rovers FC, AFC Darwen, Lancashire CCC, West Pennine Netball, Blackburn Centurions Amateur Swimming Club, and Lancashire Spinners Basketball.

And the college has developed five sporting academies - in football, netball, cricket, basketball and swimming - to benefit from the ties.

Cllr Damian Talbot, the council’s executive member for culture, leisure and young people, said: “Sports facilities and activities at new centre will be second to none but we will not lose the fun side and I am sure the new pool and flumes will bring visitors from far and wide – just as Waves has done over the years.”