Bradford Council unveils plans for country's biggest covered stadium
Plans have been unveiled to build the country's biggest covered stadium in Bradford.
The 25,000-seater complex would be home to the Bradford Bulls rugby league side, along with a training and education centre.
Built on the club's current Odsal site, it would also host boxing and other sporting events, gigs and performances.
The Bradford Council plans include a multi-storey car-park, complete with rooftop sports pitches, a 105-bedroom hotel and five new sports pitches for rugby and football.
It is estimated the complex would attract 1.25million visitors a year, £625million in visitor spending and more than £1bn in other economic benefits for Bradford.
Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe said: "Rugby League was created to help level up the north of England by enabling working class players to be compensated for taking time off work to play rugby.
"Rugby league is woven into the fabric of Bradford and the north of England. By building a regional skills centre and the largest permanently covered stadium in the country, we can harness the power of rugby league to level up again by creating well-paid careers and jobs for thousands of young men and women in Bradford and across Yorkshire and the North East."
Tony Sutton, chief operating officer at the Rugby Football League, added: "Rugby League is more than just a game - it creates opportunity, much needed employment and brings real social, economic and health benefits to communities.
"Rugby league can again help to level up by creating jobs and opportunities for people across the north. What we need government help with is creating grass roots opportunities for people to play the game and build their careers."
Bradford Bulls went into liquidation in 2017, before being resurrected, and currently sit ninth in the game's second tier, the Championship.
The council hopes to access funding from the government's Levelling Up Fund, with the rest coming from private- and public-sector partners.
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