We recently reported that Don Valley Stadium may be forced to close after the local council announced plans to cut costs. Don Valley Stadium is a huge part of Sheffield’s history and is where Olympic gold medallist, Jessica Ennis trains.
But the famous sporting venue has been given a lifeline and now there are plans to redevelop the stadium under the Olympic Legacy outside of London.
The venue is to be given a £40 million makeover, which will include a rugby pitch for the local teams, Sheffield Eagles and Titans as well as facilities for gymnastics, basketball and snooker – all big sports in the city. However there will be no place for athletics which will be moved to another stadium in the city.
Although the majority of the stadium, which originally opened 22 years ago for the World Student Games, will be demolished, its sporting legacy will live on. Speaking of the plans for the stadium, Richard Caborn, former sports minister said:
“It is a unique scheme which has already received funding to go to the feasibility stage.
“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. It has the potential to build even further the sports, leisure and related wellness sector embracing and advancing a range of partners in the Sheffield City region that will have real and measurable impact on sporting performance at many levels.”
How do you feel about Don Valley Stadium being redeveloped as part of the Olympic Legacy? Do you think the money would have been better used to refurbish the current stadium, which would cost £150,000, rather than building a multi-million pound sporting megaplex?
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