A DATE has been set for Worcester’s brand new £10.5million swimming pool to open to the public - with the big day less than two months away.

Swimmers will get their first glimpse of the eight-lane pool and new-look leisure centre in Perdiswell when it opens its doors for the first time on Saturday, January 7.

As construction reaches its final stages, a new time-lapse video has been released to show the pool taking shape over the last few months.

At high speed, the video reveals how the concrete interiors of the main pool and the learner pool have been created, showing the tests carried out to make sure they are water tight and the painstaking process of thousands of tiles being put in place to line the two pools.

Cllr Jabba Riaz, Worcester City Council’s cabinet member for clean, green and leisure services, said: “We’re getting into the final stages of creating Worcester’s new pool now and the excitement is building.

“I think everyone in Worcester will feel as proud as I am to see this remarkable new competition-standard pool start to become a reality.

“With British success at the Rio Olympics and Paralympics still fresh in our minds, I’m especially pleased that we’ve been able to pull out all the stops to ensure the new pool will be fully accessible to everyone.

“Huge thanks need to go to the council officers and our contractors Speller Metcalfe for working so hard to keep this challenging project on track and ensuring it remains on schedule.”

The state-of-the-art 25m x17m pool will boast poolside seating for 266 spectators.

The structural work on the pool is now finished and the focus has shifted to getting all the fixtures and fittings in place – from changing room lockers to the reception desk.

Most of Perdiswell Leisure Centre’s facilities will continue to be available during the construction period.

The existing pool at Sansome Walk will remain open until the Perdiswell pool is operational.

The new pool will be operated by Freedom Leisure, which has been awarded a 10-year contract to manage all the council’s sport and leisure centres.

Watch the time-lapse video online at worcesternews.co.uk.