Plans submitted for £10m ‘sports village’

MANCHESTER City Council has submitted plans for the £10m Belle Vue Sports Village in East Manchester, which will include a 6,000-seat speedway stadium.

The village will be developed on council-owned playing fields next to the Belle Vue dog track on Kirkmanshulme Lane, Longsight. The work will involve the demolition of existing leisure facilities.

Under the plans the council will refurbish Belle Vue Leisure Centre, and develop a National Basketball Centre and playing fields, including a rugby pitch.

It believes a programme of events, including speedway, rugby league and basketball, could attract between 50,000 and 80,000 visitors a year.

The speedway stadium will cost £4.5m to build which is being funded by council borrowings. It will be rented from the council by the Belle Vue Aces.