THE first Olympic sized swimming pool will be developed in the North-East after confirmation of final funding was given yesterday.

A 50-metre pool with diving area, training rooms and spectator facilities, will be built alongside Sunderland Football Club's Stadium of Light.

Sport England confirmed yesterday that approval has been given for the final £4.7m of funding.

The rest of the £12m package is in place, allowing work to start next summer. It is hoped the work will be finished by spring 2007.

It ends a long-running campaign for better swimming facilities in the region, and it will be the only Olympic-standard pool between Leeds and Edinburgh.

A project for a 50-metre pool was abandoned in Newcastle last month.

Tim Cantle Jones, of Sport England, said it would be a leading sporting venue.

He said: "The regional sports board was very impressed with the innovative approach taken to the scheme."

Sunderland City Council leader Bob Symonds welcomed the funding. He said: "This is excellent news, not only for the city, but also for the entire region.

"With nothing comparable between Leeds and Edinburgh, there is an urgent need for a pool of this standard in the North-East."

The main pool's floor will be adjustable to allow for shallower use by children and for aqua aerobics.

The diving pool will include one-metre and three-metre springboards, and one-metre, three-metre and five-metre diving platforms, wide enough for synchronised diving.