THE doors of a swimming pool that has been dogged by delays will finally open this summer.

The £5.7m pool at the Louisa Centre, in Front Street, Stanley, will open to the public on Monday, August 9.

The facility was to open in spring last year, but suffered problems from the outset.

Councillor Ann Taylor, Derwentside District Council's executive member for leisure, said: "We had to wait for a quality building.

"There have been snags along the way, but it has been worth the wait."

The six-lane competition pool meets international short course standards. It was designed to help athletes set the best times possible by increasing the depth of the water to three metres.

Staff were yesterday putting the finishing touches to 300 poolside seats for spectators. There are also hundreds of lockers and, for the first time, private shower cubicles.

But the jewel in the crown for leisure bosses is the smaller training pool, which has a mobile floor that can be raised or lowered to suit swimmers of all ages and abilities.

It will be the first time that Stanley residents can swim in a local leisure centre since the town's Burns Pool closed in 1996.

Council leader Alex Watson said: "It has been a long, hard road to get here.

"But we have delivered one of the best leisure facilities in the North-East."

A series of one-off events are planned for the two weeks before the opening, at which community groups will be invited to try the facilities.

Steve Howell, head of leisure services, said: "One of the first groups in will be residents nearby who have had to look at a building site for three years.

"It will allow us to say 'thank you' and test the pool systems at the same time."

The development has created 25 full and part-time jobs.

The project also includes a gym that is three times the size of the former facility. It opened on Monday to existing members, and will be available to new members next week.

The Louisa Centre can be contacted on (01207) 218877.