Caborn unveiled the plans to transform the site of the £29 million ($43 million/€33 million) stadium - where Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis was discovered - into a "sports and wellbeing park" and dubbed it as "the biggest Olympic legacy project outside of London", following the decision to demolish the venue as part of council budget cuts earlier this month.

The news of its closure sparked an immediate reaction of widespread disappointment, with the likes of Ennis and her criticising the decision.

On the other hand, British Olympic Association (BOA) and London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe came out in support for the decision saying he could sympathise with Sheffield Councils view of the venue as a drain on resources after it spent £700,000 ($1.4 million/€800,000) subsidising it last year.

He also said it should not be viewed as a blow to the idea of building a position London 2012 legacy, something Caborn believes strongly.


"[The Don Valley redevelopment plans] were received very well," he told insidethegames..

"As I said, I think we've got the biggest legacy outside of London as far as the Olympics is concerned.

"We have two universities, a technical college, the university technical college is supporting that nationally as well, Sport England, so I think we're moving in the right direction there."

Caborn also believes the plans will help to support the local economy and promote "wealth generation".

"We are going to show how sport can be used not just for sport and community sport but how we can use it for regeneration and also for wealth creation through the English Institute of Sport (EIS) and Hallam University's performance centre.

"It's really an exciting scheme and one that I think in a few years time, people will say that we will have done credit to the Olympic legacy."

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March 2013: Don Valley Stadium proposals unveiled as "biggest Olympic legacy project outside of London"
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