Work to begin on Circuit of Wales - opening set for 2015
Work is set to begin on a £280m motor racing circuit in Blaenau Gwent, Wales, after the group behind the plans - Heads of the Valleys Development Company (HVDC) - signed a legal agreement with the local council.
HVDC reached an agreement on the Section 106 aspect of the circuit’s planning application with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council (BGBC) and expects to begin pre-enabling works before the end of the year. Full construction will start in early 2014 with completion due in 2015-16.
To be built as a low carbon automotive centre of excellence, Circuit of Wales represents the UK’s largest ever privately-led capital investment programme in motor sport related infrastructure.
The first phase of the multipurpose development will be the construction of an international specification motor racing circuit, including a hotel and commercial and retail complexes.
It is designed to host international motor sport events and will be a centre for motor sport-related industries. It will include a 3.5-mile track that takes advantage of the unique topography of Ebbw Vale, a Motocross track, an international karting track and off-road driving facilities.
It is estimated that some 750,000 people will visit the completed facility each year, generating £50m per annum for the Welsh economy. An anticipated 3,000 new jobs will be created during the construction phase, with approximately 6,000 new jobs once the development is complete.
The automotive park will also be one of the world’s leading sustainable developments, targeting the growth of low-carbon industries and events. It will be a hub for research and development companies that are seeking to push the boundaries in environmental technology and energy solutions. The park will showcase the latest technologies that capture and generate energy for the facility.
A race academy and training facility to develop future Welsh and UK talent will work in unison with the motor racing circuit. Commercial, industrial and leisure developments will be at the heart of the project, providing opportunities for the growth of advanced engineering, technology, education and sustainable transport-related businesses.
The project also has a major community engagement strategy which, according to HVDC’s head of training and recruitment. Jonathan Jones, will result in huge benefits to the region in terms of jobs and investment.
A training placement programme is expected to deliver a minimum of 1,650 training places in construction and service-based industries, while the circuit’s renewable energy scheme will deliver a fixed price energy solution for a number of residents and businesses.
There will also be a separate youth engagement and training programme while a mitigation strategy for improved grazing and habitat is set to provide better biodiversity - a project which will be delivered in partnership with Natural Resources Wales (NRW).
Jones said: “This represents a huge milestone for Circuit of Wales and means we are now a major step closer to delivering the many jobs and opportunities the development will offer.“
For more information on Circuit of Wales, click here.
UAE’s first Dior Spa debuts in Dubai at Dorchester Collection’s newest hotel, The Lana
Europe's premier Evian Spa unveiled at Hôtel Royal in France
Clinique La Prairie unveils health resort in China after two-year project
GoCo Health Innovation City in Sweden plans to lead the world in delivering wellness and new science
Four Seasons announces luxury wellness resort and residences at Amaala
Aman sister brand Janu debuts in Tokyo with four-floor urban wellness retreat
€38m geothermal spa and leisure centre to revitalise Croatian city of Bjelovar
Two Santani eco-friendly wellness resorts coming to Oman, partnered with Omran Group
Kerzner shows confidence in its Siro wellness hotel concept, revealing plans to open 100
Ritz-Carlton, Portland unveils skyline spa inspired by unfolding petals of a rose
Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners are just one of the names behind The Emory hotel London and Surrenne private members club
Peninsula Hot Springs unveils AUS$11.7m sister site in Australian outback
IWBI creates WELL for residential programme to inspire healthy living environments
Conrad Orlando unveils water-inspired spa oasis amid billion-dollar Evermore Resort complex
Studio A+ realises striking urban hot springs retreat in China's Shanxi Province
Populous reveals plans for major e-sports arena in Saudi Arabia
Wake The Tiger launches new 1,000sq m expansion
Othership CEO envisions its urban bathhouses in every city in North America
Merlin teams up with Hasbro and Lego to create Peppa Pig experiences
SHA Wellness unveils highly-anticipated Mexico outpost
One&Only One Za’abeel opens in Dubai featuring striking design by Nikken Sekkei
Luxury spa hotel, Calcot Manor, creates new Grain Store health club
'World's largest' indoor ski centre by 10 Design slated to open in 2025
Murrayshall Country Estate awarded planning permission for multi-million-pound spa and leisure centre
Aman's Janu hotel by Pelli Clarke & Partners will have 4,000sq m of wellness space
Therme Group confirms Incheon Golden Harbor location for South Korean wellbeing resort
Universal Studios eyes the UK for first European resort
King of Bhutan unveils masterplan for Mindfulness City, designed by BIG, Arup and Cistri
Rural locations are the next frontier for expansion for the health club sector
Tonik Associates designs new suburban model for high-end Third Space health and wellness club
How Portugal’s biggest brewer enlisted the help of one of the country’s best known architects to turn two historic nature parks into thermal spa and nature destinations
Early-onset MS inspired Adria Lake to explore resilience as both a healing modality and an approach to design in the creation of her new home and company headquarters in Colorado