Nottingham City Council has successfully secured funding from Sport England’s Iconic Facilities Fund to develop their multi-use sporting facility, the Harvey Hadden Sports Park.

The facility will become home to a new 1.5-kilometre closed road circuit for cycling supported by British Cycling in conjunction with Sport England.

The funding will also allow investment into upgrading the existing athletic facilities, football pitches, three new squash courts and new outdoor changing facilities. This investment is in addition to the development of a 50 metre swimming pool currently taking place.

The successful bid by Nottingham City Council comes as part of their Leisure Transformation Programme to modernise the city’s leisure centre facilities to meet the needs of the local communities.

The new 1.5-kilometre closed road circuit will increase the number of cycling opportunities available to the community, both recreational and performance based.

It will also aid in addressing the demand of Nottingham City residents wishing to participate in recreational cycling.

It is anticipated that the closed road circuit will host a programme of cycle sport events, which will be new to the area, providing competition at local and regional level. Nottingham City Council will work in partnership with British Cycling to deliver a cycle programme to develop and encourage participation.

It is Nottingham City Council’s ambition to transform the Harvey Hadden Sports Park into Nottingham’s largest state of the art leisure facility. It is anticipated that the sports park will reopen in 2015 fully refurbished with new and improved facilities.