New ground for the Eagles? : Tue Mar 12, 2013 10:55 am
Plans to redevelop the site of Don Valley Stadium as a "sports and wellbeing park" have been announced.The Sheffield venue, where Jessica Ennis trains, is to be demolished as part of council budget cuts.
The plans include venues for rugby and gymnastics but not athletics, which will move to the Woodbourn Road stadium.
Former sports minister Richard Caborn described it as the "biggest Olympic legacy project outside of London".
'Olympic legacy'
Details of the development were revealed earlier by Mr Caborn, who said it had "already received funding to go to the feasibility stage".
The plans include new homes for the rugby league and union teams Sheffield Eagles and Titans and venues for basketball, gymnastics and snooker.
Don Valley stadium is due to close in September
The new National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine would also be built on the site, and a technical college.
Mr Caborn said: "This is the result of intensive work by a small group of significant organisations in the Sheffield City Region to consider a future for the Don Valley Stadium footprint.
"In effect it becomes an advanced sports and wellbeing park giving a comprehensive delivery of the Olympic legacy that we promised in Singapore in 2005."
Major repair
On 1 March, Sheffield City Council confirmed Don Valley would close in September, as part of £50m budget cuts.
Olympic champion Jessica Ennis said its closure was a "huge shame".
The authority said it spent £700,000 subsidising the venue last year, and it requires major repair and maintenance work at a cost of £1.6m.
Don Valley Stadium was opened in 1991 for the World Student Games in Sheffield at a cost of £29m.
Plans have already been announced to reopen the smaller Woodbourn Road stadium as a new home for athletics in Sheffield.
It was closed in 2011 and the council has estimated the cost of refurbishing the stadium will be £150,000, with a £70,000 a year running cost.
