The Duke, the first cousin of the Queen, was given a tour around the new building before unveiling a plaque that will be displayed in the reception area of the Sporting Village.

Tony Ball, the Leader of Basildon Council, said: "It was an honour to have the Duke of Gloucester officially open the Basildon Sporting Village.

"It is fitting that Gloucester Park, where the Sporting Village is situated, is named after his mother and father, who formally opened the park on June 26, 1957.

"It was a pleasure to meet him and he was very impressed by the best public sports facility in Essex."

Basildon Sporting Village has already secured a major coup ahead of the London 2012 Games when they announced in March that the Japanese Olympic swimming team will be using the venue as their pre-London 2012 training camp.

At the Beijing 2008 Olympics Games the Japanese team came fourth in the swimming medal tables, just one place below the British team, after winning two gold medals and three bronze and the agreement will see the team use the brand new 50 metre Olympic-size swimming while the athletes and coaches will visit Basildon in 2011 and in early 2012 in the lead up to the Games.


Nigel Franks, community solutions for Leisure General Manager, says: "We are honoured to have been able to deliver this exciting project with our private and public partners and equally honoured to meet His Royal Highness to officially open the Sporting Village and tell him about the hard work that has gone into the project."

The Duke was introduced to a number of figures involved in the project at the entrance to the Sporting Village including the Council's chief executive Bala Mahendran, the Mayor of Basildon Mo Larkin and the recently retired project director for the Basildon Sporting Village Roy Short.

He was then escorted around the building where he visited the South Essex Gymnastics Club, the fitness suite, swimming pool and viewed artwork installed as part of a project with Essex County Council.

The Duke was also introduced to a number of stakeholders involved in the project, including funding partners, sports clubs and the contractors,

Afterwards he made a short speech and the Mayor of Basildon invited him to unveil a plaque and sign the visitor book.

The Basildon Sporting Village boasts  a 50 metre swimming pool able to split into two 25m pools, a teaching pool, a regional gymnastics, centre, eight court sports hall, a fitness suite, a crèche and cafe, a climbing wall, floodlit five a side football pitches and a new athletics grandstand for 750 spectators.

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