DUALLING of part of the Heads of the Valleys Road, due to finish in 2015, will likely need to be substantially complete before major events can arrive at the planned Circuit of Wales.

That’s according to planning conditions for the project, despite hopes that the circuit will host MotoGP the same year.

Earlier this month councillors agreed to grant the Heads of the Valleys Development Company (HVDC) outline planning permission for the £250 million Circuit of Wales track set to bring thousands of jobs to the area.

A special meeting of Blaenau Gwent council is set to take place today to give officers the authority to issue the final permission once a legal agreement with the developers, which includes how many people will be employed locally, is signed off.

Councillors will be asked to agree the wording of conditions for the project which cover noise, biodiversity, drainage, archaeology and other issues.

One condition states that the site “shall not host large or major events until the Tredegar to Brynmawr dualling works are substantially complete” unless agreed otherwise with the council.

The Tredegar to Brynmawr stretch is estimated to be finished by June 2015. It is hoped that the circuit would bring MotoGP to the area the same year.

The condition is needed so access to the site won’t disturb the road’s construction.

Meanwhile, negotiations between the council officers and the developers are continuing over how many people should be employed locally at the race-track as a minimum.

The firm wants to employ as much as 90 per cent of its workforce locally, but the council is hammering out a legal agreement over the issue.

The agreement will include a Community Fund, with HVDC contributing £75,000 every year for 10 years.

Currently the developer is considering whether to either make a payment of £50 to 1,000 nearby homes to contribute to energy bills, or to make a contribution of £50,000 to allowthe council to find match funding for a “yet unspecified renewable energy project.”

HVDC is also looking into the potential for the track to be used by Gwent Police and local organisations for driver safety and training.

Jonathan Jones, head of training and recruitment for Circuit of Wales, said: “The A465 relief road extension was a key factor in us choosing this site, so this would certainly impact on our timescales. There are a number of phases to the construction and, while it is still too early to confirm anything at this stage, our aim is to see motor sport commence operationally by the end of 2015.”