‘Pioneering’ net zero sports arena destined for Olympic Legacy Park

Canon Medical Systems will develop the UK’s first carbon net-zero built sports, healthcare and community arena, which will also feature a Medical Diagnostic Centre.

The business will collaborate with Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, BBraun Sheffield Sharks basketball franchise, PCA Ltd and The LivingCare Group to build Park Community Arena.

Park Community Arena is expected to open at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park in 2023. It will offer a flexible sporting facility, featuring three full-size basketball courts, and designed to hold 2,500 spectators.

It will be the new home for the Sheffield Sharks and the Sheffield Hatters (women) professional basketball teams and will be available to wider sporting, education, and community organisations.

The arena will establish a UK basketball academy and programme, serving the spectrum of elite to recreational basketball players.

At the northern end of the arena, Canon Medical will open a Medical Diagnostic Centre to bring healthcare closer to people and boost access to health screening and disease prevention.

This will be managed by LivingCare and be available to the wider community in conjunction with South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw Integrated Care System and local NHS providers.

The Medical Diagnostic Centre will feature Canon Medical imaging systems including AI-assisted CT and MRI, diagnostic ultrasound, digital X-ray and include consulting rooms, a minor surgery operating theatre and an Endoscopy suite.

It will provide the region’s first specialist Sports Diagnostic Imaging Centre which will translate elite-level health, injury, and rehabilitation learnings to routine clinical practice.

Mark Hitchman, managing director of Canon Medical UK, said: “This will increase affordable access to sports and community events and provide a home for the BBraun Sheffield Sharks and Hatters basketball teams to play and train.

“The Medical Diagnostic Centre will play a part in expanding healthcare capacity for local people where they can attend minor surgery appointments or have diagnostic scans and other tests as part of a health prevention and early detection programme.”

Luke Minshall, director of strategy & partnerships at LivingCare, said: “This is a great opportunity for the community of Sheffield to have its healthcare provision expanded.

“The Park Community Arena will provide a central and accessible location for general imaging referrals from professional sports clubs to health insurance companies as well as offering the NHS and its patients additional capacity for scans and imaging procedures closer to home.”

Yuri Matischen, chairman of PCA Ltd and the Sharks, said: “Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park is already synonymous with encouraging physical wellbeing, is home to 2,000 pupils and students and has great transport links making it the ideal location for the community arena.

“We are truly excited to be working with Canon Medical, LivingCare and all partners on Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park to extend the city’s sporting reputation and inspire young people to be physically active.”

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, co-chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee at Sheffield City Council, added: “We are proud to be working with our partners at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park to create these exciting new facilities, which will provide world-class healthcare for local people and strengthen our communities.

“These additions to Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park will boost the local economy – increasing footfall and bringing new opportunities to the surrounding areas.”