FINAL plans for the £15 million Blaenavon Community Campus were approved by councillors.

The new campus, which will be set out as a village, include a leisure centre, 130-place nursery, 450-place primary school and a health care centre.

There will also be a two-court sports hall, dance studio, fitness suite, multi-use games area and car park.

The campus will replace the Blaenavon Leisure Centre and swimming pool, which was demolished in 2008, and is funded by Torfaen Council and Torfaen Local Health Board.

An application for the development was originally approved in June last year, but the latest application was submitted in March.

This was to address issues including landscaping, layout and appearance of the school and leisure centre part of the development.

Work is due to start within the next few months.

We reported on Monday how residents who fought bitterly to save their swimming pool and leisure centre were not happy with the plans.

Chairman of campaign group Blaenavon Leisure and Swimming Troubleshooters, John Beavan, said: “The leisure centre and swimming pool was without doubt a big loss to the community.

"Although we suggested at the public consultations that we wanted to see a swimming pool, I think we have now accepted there isn't going to be one.

“There’s also issues such as the sports hall they’re proposing which doesn’t seem big enough for adults to use.”

Leader of Torfaen Council, Cllr Bob Wellington said: "This project is a first of its kind in the area and the building will be state-of-the-art. We are very much looking forward to it and the benefits it will bring."