National Badminton Arena for Milton Keynes gets approval

Milton Keynes Council has approved plans for a new £22m National Badminton Arena at The National Bowl.

The new arena will include a 2,500-seat arena, 17 badminton courts, six indoor tennis courts, six outdoor tennis courts, a gym, pool, conference rooms, administration offices and 27-room accommodation.

The move was inspired by the demand for badminton courts, the desire to replicate tournament conditions in a training environment for Team GB and the council's ambition to become an international sporting city.

The centre is scheduled to open in May 2015 before Great Britain's elite badminton players begin their bid to qualify for Rio 2016.

Chief executive of Badminton England Adrian Christy said: "We are experiencing a massive demand for badminton all over the country but in Milton Keynes specifically, the demand for courts outstrips the supply by some way.

"We are also determined to ensure our players have the best possible training environment and the creation of an Arena will do just that as well as enabling us to host major events from National through to International Championships."