A special event has taken place in order to mark the completion of Manchester's new £24m National Indoor BMX Centre, which has been built adjacent to the National Cycling Centre.

Sport England invested £3m in the facility as part of its multi-million pound Iconic Facilities fund, the second round of which was opened up to new applicants earlier this month.

The new National Indoor BMX Centre received £8.5m from Manchester City Council and is to be used as a training facility for the country's elite riders ahead of the 2012 Games.

However, the facility will also be available for community use and will give schoolchildren and local cyclists the opportunity to benefit from discounted 'pay and ride' sessions.

Ellis Williams Architects are behind the design of the new 110,000sq ft (10,219sq m) venue, which was delivered by Sir Robert McAlpine and is to be run by The Velodrome Trust.

Facilities include permanent seating capacity for 2,000 spectators, with potential for a further 1,000 temporary seats for large events. AFL Architects coordinated delivery of the track.

Sport England chair Richard Lewis said: "Our investment has helped deliver a truly iconic facility that demonstrates how we're transforming the places where people play sport.

"The centre joins an array of world-class facilities already in Manchester and is a sign of things to come as we deliver a lasting sporting legacy beyond London 2012."

Details: www.nationalcyclingcentre.com