Celebrity conservationist David Bellamy will open a long-awaited tourist haven at the Cotswold Water Park tomorrow.

The £2 million Gateway Centre, developed by the Water Park Society, has been in the offing since the park opened in 1969.

Built of green oak, the building is one of the most sustainable in the South West. It is heated and cooled using the power from the nearby lake and solar panels on the roof, and the toilets are flushed using rainwater.

David Bellamy, patron of the Water Park Society, said: "The Cotswold Water Park Gateway Centre provides a centrepiece to a miraculous project that has witnessed nature's incredible ability to heal the scars left by gravel extraction.

"This provides a focal point to increase awareness of the Water Park as an internationally recognised wildlife reserve and leisure destination."

And it's not just the environment that is set to benefit. More than 25 new jobs will be created, while 100 local contractors have already been employed in creating the development.

Information officers will be positioned around the centre to offer advice about walks, cycle routes and water sport facilities.

The centre, located off the A419 overlooking stunning views of Lake six, will provide an exhibition area charting the development of the Water Park from the Jurassic era to present day.

Inside there is a caf-restaurant, local vacation company Orion Holidays, and next door is a camping equipment specialist.

The skull of a woolly mammoth, found earlier this year in a working gravel pit at the Ashton Keynes end of the water park, will be a focal point in the education centre.

Discovered by Dr Neville Holling-worth, the skull is believed to have come from a female aged between 25 and 40 years old.

Simon Pickering, acting chief executive of the Society, said: "Our vision is to create a sustainable tourist destination that will incorporate wildlife, leisure and relaxation."

Councillor Carole Soden, chair of the Water Park joint committee, said: "The creation of Gateway has been a long-term aim of the joint committee and I am pleased that it is not only a visually stunning building but also that it is so environmentally friendly."

David Bellamy will officially open the Gateway Centre tomorrow at 12.30pm.

Alex Emery