Sheffield City Council Unveil Sports College Plan for Don Valley Site

Sheffield City Council has announced it will bid to build a new University Technical College (UTC) dedicated to sports and life sciences on the site of the Don Valley Stadium, it is to be demolished in September.

The athletics stadium, where Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis trained, is to be knocked down as part of cost-cutting measures by the council. The move will save £700,000 a year.

The council must now find a sponsor, as required under government regulations, to submit the bid and assume responsibility for the UTC’s governance, leadership and organisation. Once a sponsor has been found, they will have until September 2013 to enter the bid as part of the Department for Education’s national competitive process.

Councillor Jackie Drayton said: “This is an exciting opportunity to create a new, all-age learning campus for the city with a UTC at its heart.

“By specialising in Sports and Life Sciences, the city’s second UTC not only allows the young people of Sheffield to benefit from the Olympic legacy but also prepares those who study there for careers in sectors where growth is predicted including sports, health and specialist manufacturing.”

The council has also stated the smaller Woodbourn Road stadium will be reopened for athletes in Sheffield.