Ebbw Vale’s £15 million new sports centre opened for business yesterday, after 18 months under construction.

Sports fans can now enjoy a new grass pitch, 25-metre swimming pool with two water flumes, dance studio, a pitch with advanced artificial turf, eight badminton court sports hall, gym and cafe.

The pool includes the UK’s first ‘Crazy Cone’ slide with rushing water pipes as swimmers slip down.

A spokeswoman for Blaenau Gwent Council said: “The opening day has been a great success. We look forward to lots of local people and visitors enjoying the first-rate facilities.”

The pool opened at 5.30pm yesterday and is ready for students at Coleg Gwent and and the Ebbw Fawr Learning Community to use when term starts.

Leader of Blaenau Gwent Council, Councillor Hedley McCarthy, said: “This Leisure project is a key part of the Works regeneration programme. We want to ensure that both local people and visitors to the area have an opportunity to view the outstanding facilities available at the new Ebbw Vale sports complex.”

Managing Director for contractors who built the sports centre, Willmott Dixon in Wales, Neal Stephens, said: "We are pleased to have been a part of this project that provides outstanding facilities for the people in Ebbw Vale to enjoy.

“The project was a great success and completion was achieved on time in 18 months. We are looking forward to seeing the new state-of-the-art sports centre being put to good use and providing the members of the town a great space for all their sporting and community needs."