sport £6m complex for Ystrad Mynach


A new £6m Centre of Sporting Excellence for football and rugby union is to be built on the site of a former hospital in Ystrad Mynach under new local authority proposals. Ownership of the site will


be transferred to Caerphilly County Borough Council in mid-February, following the November 2011 opening of the new Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr. Two 3G surfaces capable of


accommodating both football and rugby union are proposed as part of the scheme, along with supporting infrastruc- ture such as lighting and terracing. Te council hopes the venue will be able to


Te proposals will transform the former hospital site in Ystrad Mynach


host matches at the ‘highest level’, offer per- formance training and sports science facilities. and be available for community use. The Welsh Rugby Union and Football Association of Wales have backed the scheme,


with Newport Gwent Dragons rugby team and Cardiff City Football Club also in support. Council leader Allan Pritchard said: “Tis


is a unique opportunity for the council to provide a Centre for Sporting Excellence and community development that could be among the best in the country.”


In-house council architects designed the facility Next stage of Cardiff’s ISV moves forward


Cardiff Council has appointed a development partner to deliver the next phase of the city’s International Sports Village (ISV) – a new ice rink and waterfront scheme. Helium Miracle 113 has


been selected by the council following a tender process, with design work to start immediately. Te project is set to be delivered in phases. A new twin-pad ice arena


and a 150m ski slope will be built first, and will be ready for “all or most” of the 2013- 14 ice hockey season. Te overall development will take five years to complete. Later phases will include a hotel; bars; res-


A waterfront scheme will complement the new ice rink at Cardiff’s ISV Cardiff Council leader Rodney Berman said:


taurants; and other leisure facilities. As a result of the scheme’s commercial elements, no capi- tal funding will be provided by the council.


“[Te latest phase] will be another cornerstone of the International Sports Village, which is key within the council’s plans to further enhance Cardiff’s reputation as an international capi- tal and a major tourist destination.”


Mayor: London’s Olympic Park to host 2013 cycling festival


One of the first large-scale events to be held in London’s Olympic Park following the 2012 Games will be a two-day cycling festival under plans announced by mayor Boris Johnson. Due to take place in August 2013, the event is designed to attract more than 200,000 visitors


© CYBERTREK 2012


to the capital and will include a family fun ride for up to 70,000 cyclists around the city. Te second day will see up to 35,000 ama-


teur, club and world-class elite cyclists embark on a 100-mile course, which is scheduled to begin in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.


Twitter: @leisureopps


Treasury: Tax exemption for Glasgow 2014 athletes


HM Treasury has announced that athletes based currently outside the UK and who will be competing at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will be exempt from paying income tax. Danny Alexander, chief secretary to the


Treasury, confirmed the move in a bid to “spread the long-term” legacy benefits of the London 2012 Games into Scotland. Te exemption includes appearance fees


and the proportion of global endorsement income related to competing at Glasgow 2014 which would normally by tax.


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New £4.3m sports facility opens in East Ayrshire


A new £4.3m sports facility designed by East Ayrshire Council’s in-house architects, has been unveiled by Scotland national team manager Craig Levein in Stewarton. Facilities at the new facility, which was


constructed by Barr Construction, include a hall with sprung Granwood floor capable of accommodating a range of sports such as badminton and basketball. Te centre also offers a Body Station


Gym-branded conditioning suite with cv and resistance equipment, while a dance studio and FIFA 2*-accredited synthetic pitches also feature at the complex.


Cricket Ireland unveils ‘bold’ future vision


Cricket Ireland has announced plans to establish a domestic first-class structure and achieve Test status by 2020 in a “bold vision” for the sport’s future in Ireland. A new strategic plan to 2015 for Irish


cricket has now been outlined by the body, which also aims to increase participation to 50,000 and reinforce cricket as the coun- try’s fourth major team sport. Cricket Ireland chief executive Warren


Deutrom said: “We have set ourselves a very clear long-term ambition – to become a full Test nation by 2020, nothing less.”


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