ISG on track with £21 million National Cycling Centre project

The iconic sporting venue, that has played an instrumental role in Great Britain’s dominance of world cycling and as a key regional community leisure asset, is now over 25 years old and requires investment to ensure it retains its world-class reputation. The project will be delivered in partnership with Manchester City Council, MCRActive, operator GLL, British Cycling and a range of other stakeholders. Working under one of the UK’s best performing public sector procurement frameworks – the North West Construction Hub, ISG will continue its circa 15-year relationship with the venue, where it has twice renewed the track – most recently in 2018.

As one of the world’s busiest velodromes, the modernisation programme at the National Cycling Centre addresses upgrades to track and spectator facilities, including replacement and extension of seating capacity at the venue and the introduction of a new glazed track barrier design. The scheme also includes the installation of new state-of-the-art track timing, photo finish technology and a digital display board, and refurbishment of the central sports court area within the track area.

A key element of the project is to future-proof this vital national sporting infrastructure through the upgrade and modernisation of building services, to increase operational efficiency, reduce running costs and mitigate the building’s environmental impact through the significant reduction of carbon emissions.

ISG will comprehensively strip out all legacy building services equipment and replace with advanced systems that are optimised for energy performance. The building will be equipped with air source heat pumps, LED lighting will be installed throughout and improvements will be made to the fabric of the building to optimise thermal performance.

Paul Collins, framework manager at ISG, commented: “We are proud to be working on this exciting project at such a prestigious sporting venue, which has supported so many fantastic achievements by British athletes on the global cycling stage over the past 25 years. This scheme will secure the NCC’s position at the heart of British cycling, future proofing this outstanding elite and community sporting venue for the long-term. Crucially, it will also deliver on the council’s Climate Change Action Plan and ambition to be a zero-carbon city by 2038. Our aim is to achieve these goals while minimising disruption to the ongoing operations of the NCC and the cyclists who use it, and maximising the delivery of wider social, economic and environmental benefits to the local community and people of Manchester”.

Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Manchester City Council's executive member for Neighbourhoods, said: "The investment to refurbish the National Cycling Centre will ensure that this iconic venue will fulfil its purpose as a home for world-class cyclists and the communities it serves in Manchester for years to come. The upgraded facilities and greener energy systems will significantly reduce the carbon emissions making a big contribution to the city's climate change commitments."