A NORTH Durham community is holding its breath for confirmation of a £4.5m Lottery grant to build a long-awaited swimming pool.

Derwentside District Council has submitted a fourth set of architectural designs for a swimming pool at Stanley's Louisa Centre to Lottery agents Sport England.

Having been turned down three times already, council heads and residents hope the latest plans, amended once again, will be accepted.

Sport England asked the council to bring in outside architects to improve design work on its pool plans.

Stanley lost its swimming pool in 1997, when the 30-year-old Burns pool was bulldozed after structural problems were discovered.

The attempt to build a replacement attached to the Louisa Centre has hit repeated snags and has had to be revised several times.

The latest plans, submitted earlier this month, are expected to see the Lottery cash come Stanley's way in the next few months.

The council's director of public services, Mike Clark, said: "Our original plans incorporated a degree of leisure facilities, but Sport England will only pay for things associated with sport.Therefore we had to change the plans slightly, to take out things like a new entrance for the Louisa Centre, and concentrate solely on the swimming pool's sporting facilities.

"Of course, it will also include a learner pool, changing facilities and caf facilities."

The six-lane, 25-metre pool will also include a fitness suite, aerobics suite and a spectators' seating area.

While it is expected Sport England will announce approval within days, Mr Clark erred on the side of caution.

He said: "We are feeling very positive about this at the moment. There were 12 issues we had to address with Sport England and we've done that. We expect to be in a position, in the not too distant future, when we can put out to tender."

Campaigners from Stanley Action Group Enterprise (Sage), who are urging the local authority to regenerate the area, say the development is critical to the town's future.

Sage chairman Maureen Storey said: "We are keeping our fingers crossed, but it now looks like we're pretty certain to get this Lottery money."