Developers sought for Sheffield's Don Valley Stadium redevelopment

Sheffield City Council is seeking developers to take up plans to regenerate the site of the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield’s East End.

Council plans for the 26 acre mixed development have a central themes of sport, leisure and wellbeing.

The provision of The Advanced Park for Sports and Wellbeing is the lead opportunity for the site but it does not exclude other market led development solutions such as alternative sporting or destination uses which lead to community regeneration and wealth creation in the wider Sheffield City Region.

The Stadium is due to close at the end of September, with newly refurbished nearby Woodbourn Road Stadium opening at the same time.

Sheffield City Council, both Sheffield universities, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Sheffield College, comprise the working group steering the project.

At a media conference Mr Caborn described the Park project as “the biggest Olympic legacy project outside of London”, having the potential to create hundreds of jobs and having received a warm welcome and support from Lord Coe, chairman of the British Olympic Association and the Government’s Olympic Ambassador.

He said: “Following the launch earlier this year we are looking for expressions of interest in the site from developers or partners seeking to build on the ideas which have emerged locally and attracted a considerable amount of interest.

“The aim is to have partners on board by October to enable delivery. This is an economic wealth generation project which would take the Don Valley Stadium site from being under utilised to becoming an economic driver for the Sheffield City Region, capable of providing comprehensive delivery of the Olympic legacy

“It has the potential to build, even further, the sports, leisure and related wellness sector in the Sheffield City Region, providing real and measurable impact on sporting performance and health and well-being at many levels,” added Mr Caborn.

Cllr Julie Dore, Leader of Sheffield City Council, added: “We expect to see strong interest in redeveloping the site, and some strong proposals that will help us to achieve a quality transformation of this strategic sporting site over the coming years. These are ambitious plans to help us create a culture of health and well being for local people. The development would support our aim of helping everyone - of all ages and backgrounds - keep active and stay healthy.

“In the same area we’ve already got the newly refurbished Woodbourn Road Stadium opening in autumn, as well as the English Institute of Sport and Ice Sheffield approaching 10 years of successful sporting activity. We want to add to this and create something new and exciting that will benefit everyone.”