sport Don Valley’s future under threat


Te funding of both sport and cultural facilities are in ques- tion in Sheffield, as the council strives to make £50m of cuts to its 2013-14 budget, on top of £140m in the last two years. Don Valley Stadium where


heptathlete, Jessica Ennis, trained for the Olympics is in question. Its demolition could save £700,000 a year and avoid the necessary investment of £1.6m in coming years. The Woodbourn Road


Stadium, which was closed 18 months ago to save money, could be refurbished and reopened to provide outdoor running facilities. Tis news comes on the back of the recent


announcement of £10m of government money being ploughed into Sheffield sports facilities, including a £5m refurbishment of Sheffield Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre, in order to


Te Don Valley stadium first opened in 1990 and cost around £29m


create a National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine in the city. Further to this, 14 of Sheffield’s 27 librar-


ies may close unless volunteers come forward to run them. Museums Sheffield, Sheffield Teatres, Te Site Gallery and the Showroom Cinema could also have their budgets cut.


Trust calls for youth feedback on facilities


Cumbria-based charita- ble trust Lakes Leisure has launched an innovative way to get young people’s feed- back on the region’s sport and leisure facilities, asking them to design their ideal facility to replace the current leisure centre in Kendal. Te competition brief states


the existing centre will soon require replacing and calls for creative entries that include high quality, environmen- tally friendly facilities. Lakes Leisure business and


Stockbridge Leisure Centre to be replaced


Stockbridge Leisure Centre, in the north of Sheffield, could be replaced by a new swim- ming pool and gym as part of the £10m Sheffield is receiving from the government to create a National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine. Announced last week by Health Secretary,


Andrew Lansley, the £30m National Sports and Exercise Medicine Centre of Excellence will be made up of three network partners, in Sheffield, Loughborough and London. It aims to help more people to be more active, and treat injuries caused by exer- cise and conditions associated with lack of exercise. Graves Tennis and Leisure Centre is another Sheffield site which will be upgraded courtesy of the £10m. Despite plans for a new swimming


pool, many residents are protesting about the closure of Stockbridge Leisure Centre, which needs modernising. Locals want to be assured the replacement site will stay in Stockbridge and want the existing cen- tre kept open until the new one is ready. Details: http://lei.sr?a=b6r5u


An artist’s impression of the new Bristol stadium


Council approves Bristol Rovers FC stadium sale


A new swimming pool has been mooted as part of the new facilities


partnership manager Derek Jones said the trust hoped to be inspired by entries, which would be used to shape ideas for future leisure devel- opment in the town. In another move to improve the region’s lei- sure service, the trust will launch a new Get


Active leisure card on 4 February that will make facilities more accessible. For a one off fee, Get Active cardholders


will be able to get discounts between 20-50 per cent across Lake Leisure’s facilities. Details: http://lei.sr?a=l5o2x


£4m sports complex planned for Stoke-on-Trent college


A new £4m sports complex is being built to replace an existing facility at Stoke-on-Trent College in Staffordshire. Te new complex, which will be located at


the Cauldon Campus on College Road, is being built by Aspect Construction and is expected


© Cybertrek 2013


to open in September 2013. Te new complex forms part of a £6m plan to enhance the col- lege’s campus facilities. Te building will feature an indoor sports


hall, a fitness suite, cricket facilities and aero- bics facilities. Details: http://lei.sr?a=X9k4B


Twitter: @leisureopps


Bristol City Council has approved plans for supermarket giant Sainsbury’s to transform Memorial Stadium, Horfield, into a hous- ing and retail precinct. Te move paves the way for current owners Bristol Rovers FC to relocate to land at the University of the West of England’s Frenchay campus, where the club already has planning permission to build a 21,700 all-seated stadium. The club has always maintained that


it needs to sell the Memorial Stadium to finance the move. Memorial Stadium sits on 3.3ha designated


as a sports stadium in the Local Plan and is safeguarded from other development. Bristol Rovers chairman Nick Higgs said


the approval of the sale of the Memorial Stadium was “the biggest day in the Pirates’ history”. Details: http://lei.sr?a=q7S5Y


Read Leisure Opportunities online: www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/digital 3


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24