AN INDOOR water park - complete with flume tubes, slides and a wave machine - is to be built in Oxford.

We have learned the multi-million-pound pool, will go up next to the Blackbird Ley's leisure centre, in Pegasus Road.

Those wanting the excitement of slides and other aqua attractions have to travel to the Oasis Centre in Swindon, or Reading's Rivermead Leisure Centre.

But in plans being drawn up by leisure chiefs at Oxford City Council, the new pool would feature waterslides and amusements for adults and children, in order to attract families from across the region.

Plans for a so-called 'super leisure centre' close to the ring road had been mooted, but it has emerged the council wants to keep its family and competition pools separate.

The priority is to replace the ageing Oxford Ice Rink and crumbling Temple Cowley Pool and build a £20m facility with competition-standard facilities in their place.

One of the sites mooted for that attraction is the Arlington Business Park, in Cowley.

But with Peers Sports Centre in Littlemore set to close to make way for a city academy, leisure managers think they owe Oxford a top-class replacement.

City council deputy leader David Rundle said: "The vision is that we put a large swimming pool next to the Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre - and make it one that is family-friendly. This could be a strategic, even regional resource.

"We are talking about something that would be much larger, up-to-date and a safe environment for children - but also fun.

"We are looking at around ten years (for the facility to be operational), but if we get backing from all political parties and support from the public we would always want to do things quicker."

The pool at Temple Cowley would be demolished, but only after the new facility opens.

Huge sums of money have been ploughed into the Ferry Sports Centre in Summertown and Barton Pool - both of which are run by the city council - but Oxford does not have a "family friendly" pool with flumes, slides or other modern attractions.

Last year, auditors branded parts of the authority's leisure service, which is one of the most expensive per head of population in the country, "unacceptable".

Tory city councillor, and former Liberal Democrat leisure portfolio holder, Paul Sargent said: "I welcome aspirational projects - the city has sadly lacked them in recent years - but what we don't want is hastily drawn-up plans."

No decision has been on funding, but the council would expect to receive a sizeable sum if it sold the ice rink and Temple Cowley Pool sites.