A MULTI-MILLION pound sports centre at a secondary school has officially opened with former co-owner of Arsenal FC cutting the ribbon.

The Misbourne, in Great Missenden, has a new sports centre with an impressive 695 metre square indoor sports hall, a 185 metre square performance studio and a fully-equipped fitness suite.

There are also four large student changing rooms, complete with full washing amenities, and staff changing rooms.

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The school development has taken 18 months to complete with a full redesign of the student coach drop-off area and a new larger car park for school and community use when hiring facilities.

David Dein, MBE, Ambassador for the Premier League, International Ambassador for the Football Association and former co-owner of Arsenal FC, said: “I am delighted to officially open this new sports centre at The Misbourne. Promoting health and fitness in the next generation of sports people is vitally important and having top-quality facilities will only help to encourage greater participation.”

The sports centre was designed by AHR Architects Ltd and construction work was managed by Arcadis, carried out by Life Build Solutions.

Councillor Anita Cranmer, cabinet member for children’s service and  education at Buckinghamshire Council, said: “The new development provides excellent sports accommodation for the Academy and wider community.

"This signifies our ongoing commitment to investing in our schools and continuing to provide excellent facilities to enhance the prospects of our young people.”

A portion of the funding for the sports hall has been through developer contributions.

Rich Peters, headteacher of The Misbourne, said: “We are pleased formally to open our impressive new sports centre, which will provide excellent sporting facilities for our students, staff and the wider community alike for many years to come.

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"The Misbourne has a very strong sports and performance offer for students at all key stages and it will be wonderful to grow this still further with this state-of-the-art accommodation.

“The new facilities will benefit everyone in the local area, providing a much-needed sports hub in Great Missenden. We look forward to working with local sports clubs to maximise the sports offer to people of all ages in the locality.”