Plans are under way for Marbella's major new pool for use for competitive events

Sports clubs and swimming competitors in Marbella look set to get what they most need at last: a place for high-level training and pool competitions within the municipality.

When the plan for the facility is carried out, almost 1,000 sportsmen and women can stop using crowded public pools where they are only allocated limited hours to train.

Marbella town hall has started a tender process to draw up and supervise plans for a swimming pool facility in the Polideportivo Guadaiza, on the San Pedro side of Nueva Andalucía, that will also be used for national level competition.

The cost is estimated at eight million euros and the pool will need to be 24 metres long and 34 metres wide, with a moving partition to divide the space so different activities can use the pool at the same time. The floor of the pool will be marked out for waterpolo competitions.

As an example of the current difficulties faced by sports teams, Club Waterpolo Marbella, that plays in national competitions, has to use a pool in Fuengirola instead for its home games and training.