THE deal which finally secures the completion of Stanley's £4.5m new swimming pool was put in place this week.

A North-East company has won a £1.2m deal contract to install the mechanical and electrical work before the new pool opens before spring next year.

Work began on the site behind the town's sports complex, the Louisa Centre, last December after more than five years campaigning for a new pool since the old Burns pool was closed.

Derwentside District Council radically altered plans for the pool after being turned down three times for National Lottery funding. Eventually £3m was granted by National Lottery agents Sport England and a further £1.5m was raised by the authority itself.

Norstead, a mechanical and electrical firm based in Killingworth, Newcastle, has successfully bid with Morrison Construction to handle the mechanical and electrical aspects of the project.

The contract involves work on the main pool and adjacent teaching pool and includes the installation of a full air conditioning system along with heating and pool fire defence systems.

They are also contracted to provide the rest of the centre with internal boiler house and a heating service.

Norstead managing director Robert Pratt said: "We have a long-running working relationship with Derwentside District Council and are delighted to be involved in such a beneficial local project.

"The leisure centre provides a range of recreational facilities to the community and the improvements to the centre will hopefully encourage more people in the area to take advantage of the facility."

District council divisional head Bill Tindale said: "Norstead has been the principal contractors for mechanical and electrical services to the council for the past six years and we are more than satisfied with the work they have undertaken.