A NEW swimming pool has opened its doors in Lower Darwen.

Local businessmen Michael Anderson and Mark Holden officially unveiled the new pool at Riverside Nursery, Branch Road, at the weekend.

And the business partners have plans to open another pool in Buckshaw Village, Chorley, which will take their investment to more than £2.2million across the two sites.

Michael and Mark, joint owners of plastering and drylining business Red Rose Drylining, got finance from Yorkshire Bank’s Financial Solutions Centre in Blackburn to fund the deals.

Michael said: “We had land next to the nursery and there are no swimming amenities in the area so we decided that we would open a swimming pool and academy.

“There has been massive interest in the swimming academy and we have already signed up 80 members.

“We have done our homework and researched the whole development at Buckshaw Village, where there will be more than 500 houses and up to 10,000 residents and lots of facilities except for a nursery or swimming pool.”

Work on Riverside Nursery’s swimming academy started in December.

As well as a chlorine-free swimming pool, the academy also offers a swimwear shop, café, children’s hairdressers and new office space, as well as a range of classes.

Outline planning permission has been granted for the Buckshaw Village nursery and swimming academy.