"I’m confident this facility will be a source of pride for the
region where local people will be inspired to develop a sporting
habit for life.”
Richard Lewis, Sport England Chair
Work has started on a new state-of-the-art multi-use sports
venue in Derby after Sport England announced £3 million of National
Lottery investment from the Iconic Facilities legacy
fund.
Following the success of the London 2012
Games, The Arena will give generations of Derby residents the
chance to get involved in sport.
“There will be a fantastic sporting experience
on offer for everyone at the Arena, from a world-class velodrome to
a 12-court sports hall,” said Richard Lewis, Sport England
Chair. “No project has received a larger investment from our
Olympic and Paralympic legacy fund and I’m confident this facility
will be a source of pride for the region where local people will be
inspired to develop a sporting habit for life.”
The funding has been given to Derby City
Council who will build the futuristic Arena next to Derby’s Pride
Park Stadium. It will include fitness and wellbeing facilities; a
sports infield the size of 12 badminton courts surrounded by a
national standard 250 metre indoor cycling track, and a 1.5km
outdoor closed cycle circuit.
Councillor Repton, Cabinet Member for Leisure
and Culture at Derby City Council, said, “The new state of the art
facilities will act as a catalyst for positive change to meet
aspirations of hundreds of thousands of people in and around Derby.
These facilities will be a shining beacon to inspire a new
generation of sports men and women to embrace healthy lifestyles,
to enjoy themselves and possibly become gold medal winners
themselves!”
Welcoming the news, British Cycling’s Chief
Executive, Ian Drake, said: "It’s fantastic news that work is about
to start on the Derby velodrome. Cycling's sensational summer is
inspiring thousands of people to get into the sport and this
facility is part of the legacy from London hosting the Olympic and
Paralympic Games. British Cycling is working closely with the
council on the project to give people riding at all levels across
the region a facility that they can be proud of."
Iconic Facilities is part of the
Places People Play legacy programme that is bringing the
magic of a home Olympic and Paralympic Games into communities
across the country by supporting multi-sport facilities that help
increase participation and deliver a sustainable sporting legacy
beyond 2012.
As well as offering a wide range of sports,
the Arena will also be able to house an audience of 5,000, allowing
Derby to stage cultural events, exhibitions and conferences.
It is due to open by November 2014.