A Sheffield sports venue is to play a key role in a major investment project aimed at making the city one of the most active in the UK.

New facilities at the Concord Sports Centre in Shiregreen will see it become one of three initial developments for the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine (NCSEM), a government funded Olympic Legacy project.

The £700,000 development is under the NCSEM banner, which brings communities, clinical services, sport and exercise specialists and health professionals together to examine how exercise can be used in the treatment of a range of chronic health conditions.

At Concord, which is funded by Sheffield City Council and operated by Sheffield International Venues (SIV), this will mean a new facility in the existing North changing block, which will house a range of consultation and treatment rooms. There will also be a new dedicated entrance and reception area.

Outlining how the site will operate, Rob Copeland, project manager of the Sheffield NCSEM, said it would - amongst other benefits - co-locate sport and exercise medicine specialists; house clinical services, opportunities for sport and exercise and research under one roof; encourage the sharing of facilities and practise between the sports centre and the healthcare facility; and provide professional clinical advice and treatment.

SIV is now seeking planning permission for the development and it is hoped that building work can begin in the spring of next year with an expected completion date of late summer.