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MEADOWBANK SAVED - For Now

Campaigners today welcomed Edinburgh Council's decision to re-consider its plan to sell Meadowbank Stadium.

The Council had agreed to sell the Meadowbank site to property developers in order to fund facilities elsewhere. But faced with thousands of objections the Council today agreed to go back to the drawing board.

A working group will be set-up with a brief to 're-open and examine the principle of the sale of the Meadowbank site either in whole or part". Councillors also agreed that "no parameters are set within which the group must confine its deliberations."

Campaigners had been concerned at the wording of Council leader Ewan Aitken's original motion but expressed delight it was passed with important amendments.

"The motion as it stood clearly continued to pre-suppose the sale of the Meadowbank site," said campaign spokesperson Heather Peacock. "The amendments broaden the consultation group's remit sufficiently to address one of our main concerns over the motion."

"Unfortunately the working group does not include representation from the Save Meadowbank campaign group. Nor does it allow for full public participation in the consultation process.

"We are also concerned that the working group must prepare an interim report for presentation to the council by 28 June 2007. This seems an incredibly short timescale for such an important debate."

Today's decision was taken after a two month campaign. 600 attended a hastily-arranged protest meeting, the same number marched from Meadowbank to the City Chambers and almost 10,000 signed petitions. The campaign also revealed the original decision to sell Meadowbank was done without proper consultation and was based upon misinformation about funding.

Concluded Peacock: "Our campaign to save Meadowbank has been successful thus far. But the job is not complete and we will continue to work and lobby until public opinion becomes central to the debate."

Edinburgh at Risk

A new support network has been formed by Edinburgh campaign groups with the full support of a former top government adviser who is highly critical of the current Labour administration.

"Edinburgh At Risk (EAR) is a non-political umbrella organisation open to all who value the city's culture, history and future," said spokesperson Kevin Ferguson. "It is concerned at the many present and planned sales of public land and facilities and wishes full recognition of Edinburgh's Common Good."

EAR has been founded by a number of on-going campaigns including

Save Our Old Town

Save Glenogle Baths

Save Meadowbank

Sighthill Says No

Portobello Park Action Group

Gardyloo

Friends of Corstorphine Hill

A launch video showing many of the campaigns is available on You Tube.

EAR supporters include a former government adviser who has criticised the Labour party in Edinburgh for representing the interests of developers instead of their constituents. Sir Bernard Crick, who worked with David Blunkett at the Home Office, is appalled at the way the local council has repeatedly decided to "sell off the family silver" for a quick gain and without proper consideration of the long-term consequences.

An honorary fellow at Edinburgh University, Sir Bernard thinks councillors have allowed themselves to get too close to developers. He said: "As a life-long member of the Labour Party and former government adviser on citizenship, I am deeply embarrassed, indeed angry, at how close leading Edinburgh Labour councillors have got to the developers all over the city.

"Of course the council is desperate not to have to raise council tax, but the answer cannot be to sell off the family silver. This is irreversible sale, not even a pawnshop."

EAR will share advice and information between groups and coordinate demands for a much closer and earlier consultation with residents on proposed developments.

EAR is planning a series of initiatives to raise awareness, stimulate debate and highlight democratic abuse. Its first act has been to question all candidates in the forthcoming council elections about their stance on a range of issues including, housing, Common Good, planning and the retention of publicly owned green and leisure spaces. The results will be published before polling day.

Labour motion reaffirms their commitment to sell off the stadium

The Labour group in the City of Edinburgh Council will, on the 26th of April, ask the full council to support a motion which reaffirms their commitment to sell off the stadium. Read more and take action>>

Meadowbank grandstand is worth saving for its architecture

Meadowbank's grandstand should be saved on architectural grounds. That's the view of Dr. Dimitris Theodossopoulos, a lecturer in Architectural Technology at Edinburgh University.

Council leader Ewan Aitken wants his colleagues to vote on a motion that will sacrifice the Meadowbank grandstand for a small community centre so that hundreds of homes can be built on the current sports centre site.

"The architectural beauty of Meadowbank is mainly due to its grandstand," said Dr. Theodossopoulos. "Get rid of that and the site it loses its character. The grandstand has to stay.

"Meadowbank is one of the last major examples of design carried out by the City Council architects. It can be included in the contemporary examples of creative attitude by local authorities all over Britain, like London's Royal Festival Hall.

"The Stadium uses an interesting dynamic system of concrete beams and columns to form the main skeleton, which is clearly and elegantly expressed. As someone who is carrying out research on historic and modern shell architecture and structural forms, I find the way the steel members tie the grandstand along the London Road elevation a quite interesting feature, reminiscent of early hi-tech sports architecture like P. L. Nervi's Palazzetto dello Sport in Rome for the 1960 Olympics. The result is a rhythmical composition which with an improved landscape and lighting scheme can become more prominent.

"I am aware of the problems the council has faced in maintaining the Stadium but I believe the architectural and cultural prominence of the site can be matched to its significance as a vital sports facility for the community and therefore a carefully drafted development masterplan can provide the required value for all of East Edinburgh.

"The whole project could become more viable by incorporating the industrial sites to the south and by demolishing the redundant office block to the east.

"There has not been a comprehensive feasibility study for such an important development. Only a few arguments have been considered and the debate has been based only on the finances needed to create Sighthill and refurbish the Commonwealth Pool.

"The draft development brief only states no listed buildings are contained in the site which gives a very limited idea of what can constitute heritage or architectural value.

"I therefore register my strong objection to the scheme and the demolition of the Stadium."

Campaigners welcomed his views. Save Meadowbank spokesperson Paula Ferguson commented: "The motion tabled by council leader Ewan Aitken does not address concerns of local residents because it still means the building of hundreds homes on the Meadowbank site.

"It doesn't admit mistakes have been made. Instead it asks councillors to re-affirm previous decisions. Yet we now know these original decisions were flawed due to failings in the original consultation process and a funding disagreement with SportScotland.

"The Liberal Democrats want Meadowbank refurbished. The SNP has done a complete turnaround and is now calling for the same.

"A local poll showed 87% of respondents wanted to Save Meadowbank. Given this level of support, why can't Labour simply admit they made a mistake and propose a reversal of the decision to demolish Meadowbank?"

Labour haven't listened

Ewan Aitken's proposal to stand by the decision to demolish Meadowbank Stadium and set-up a working group to consider a new community sports centre in east Edinburgh completely misses the point and shows he hasn't listened to what thousands of people have been telling him.

That's the Save Meadowbank campaign group's response to a motion the Labour party will put before the full Edinburgh council on 26 April.

"The message from the public has been crystal clear. People have signed petitions in their thousands. They want Meadowbank Stadium saved, not converted into flats," said Save Meadowbank spokesperson Paula Ferguson.

"A community centre is not what the citizens of Edinburgh want to see on the Meadowbank site. They want a sports stadium.

"Every other political party has got the message apart from Labour who by their very actions seem keen to commit electoral suicide.

Councillor Aitken has already admitted the council's consultation "wasn't what it should have been" because local residents and users of Meadowbank weren't consulted prior to the decision being made to demolish the Stadium.

The council has always claimed it had to sell the Meadowbank site because SportScotland wouldn't provide money for its refurbishment. Yet only last weekend SportScotland's Chief Executive Stewart Harris said money could have been made available and the decision not to refurbish Meadowbank was the council's alone.

Medowbank gets a reprive as SportScotland's role is again questioned

Politicians of all parties last night agreed Edinburgh Council had to revisit its decision to demolish Meadowbank Stadium. And one senior councillor challenged SportScotland over their claim that they would have considered a proposal to refurbish the popular sports centre.

Deputy Lord Provost Steve Cardownie voted in favour of the plan to sell the Meadowbank site. But the SNP councillor said he made his decision based upon information that is now in doubt.

Speaking at a hustings event organised by the Federation of Small Businesses, Cardownie said: “The Chief Executive of SportScotland said in 2004 that refurbishment of Meadowbank would not be funded yet I read a letter at the weekend where he said they would have considered it.

“There is no alternative. We have to review this decision and go back to the start.”

Council leader Ewan Aitken didn’t want to comment on the SportScotland funding but agreed the plan had to be reviewed. Referring to the original consultation carried out by Edinburgh Leisure which omitted to ask either local residents or Stadium users, Aitken said: “I have already agreed the consultation in 2004 wasn’t what it should have been. Donald Anderson has already committed us to reviewing facilities in east Edinburgh. I am committed to that. We will be able to say something in due course.”

Gavin Corbett of the Green Party called on the council to sign up to the national standards for community engagement. “We were on the Save Meadowbank march. It’s not Meadowbank that’s past its sell by date - it’s Labour,” he added.

Tory leader Iain Whyte agreed to look again at the decision. “We will have to review it but the biggest worry is we won’t see improvements because there aren’t any funds.

“There is a fundamental issue about sports facilities in Edinburgh that have been allowed to rot.”

Liberal Democrat leader Jenny Dawe paid tribute to the Save Meadowbank campaign and said part of the funding problem would be met by her party at a national level. “The extent of the campaign has encouraged Donald Anderson and others to revisit it. When the council made its decision in 2004 there was a clause that it would be looked at again if other possible sites came up so it wasn’t a final decision.”

Edinburgh council claim they need to sell the Meadowbank site in order to refurbish the Royal Commonwealth Pool. Dawe countered this by saying: “Nicol Stephen has pledged he will fund the money for two Olympic pools in the north of Scotland and redevelop the Royal Commonwealth Pool.”

SportScotland funding claim means councillors misled us

SportScotland’s claim that they would have considered a project to refurbish Meadowbank Stadium has today led to accusations that councillors misled the public over the decision to close the popular Edinburgh sports centre.

Council leader Ewan Aitken last month told campaigners that SportScotland wouldn’t fund a refurbishment of the ground but they have since contradicted him by saying they would have considered it.

“One of the things they (SportScotland) made clear was that they were looking for new things,” Aitken told campaigners. “They weren’t going to allow us to refurbish things.”

Aitken wasn’t alone in this view. His colleague Ian Perry, who represents the Meadowbank ward, wrote to a campaigner in early February. He said: “Unfortunately the site at Meadowbank does not meet the specifications that are laid down by the Scottish Executive and SportScotland who are providing most of the finance. If we do not meet their specifications we will not receive the grant.”

Addressing last month’s Save Meadowbank public meeting, former council leader Donald Anderson said: “The advice that we’ve had from our officials is that a refurbished Meadowbank Stadium couldn’t meet SportScotland guidelines in terms of quality of provision it needs in order to attract their funding.”

These explanations have been questioned by campaigners following an open letter from Stewart Harris, SportScotland’s Chief Executive, who said: “We look equally favourably on new or refurbished projects.

“Whilst SportScotland provides specification guidelines for different types of facilities to all applicants, at no time did we indicate that the Meadowbank site was too small to be considered for redevelopment. The council however has stated it requires a larger footprint to update and improve the facilities currently available and to maintain them on one site.”

Save Meadowbank spokesperson Paula Ferguson expressed concern at the contradictory statements. “Several councillors have told us they were forced into the decision by SportScotland who have now denied it. Who should we believe?

“This whole process has been anything but transparent. We need a full explanation of what decisions were made, when, by whom and under what conditions.”

Sighthill says NO!

Sighthill residents today launched a campaign against Edinburgh Council's plan to replace their only green field site with a new sports stadium.

Locals don't see any benefit having such a facility on their doorstep and have called instead for the council to keep its stadium at Meadowbank.

"Sighthill needs a park, not a concrete stadium," said Ronnie Cairns, founder of the 'Sighthill Says No' campaign.

"The existing Sighthill Park is the only green space we've got. It is used by all the local community and not just as sports fields. Last weekend lots of families used it for an Easter picnic.

"A stadium here wouldn't be used by local people. Most would be priced out."

Cairns is well placed to know local feelings. He runs a community centre that is popular with youngsters. "The karate club would be lost to Sighthill people. I am not going to let that happen.

"Kids who want to play judo pay 10p. They won't be able to pay Edinburgh Leisure's prices to hire a hall at a new sports centre.

"Meadowbank is where such a stadium should be. It is easier to get to Meadowbank than Sighthill. If they remove the stadium from Meadowbank it will take away the area's heart. There would be nothing left but a housing estate."

The news that Sighthill residents don't want a new stadium is a further blow to Edinburgh Council which is already under fire for deciding to demolish Meadowbank Stadium and replace it with hundreds of high density homes.

Youngsters Lead Meadowbank March

Local residents, athletes, sports groups and coaches marched from Meadowbank stadium to Edinburgh City Chambers to hand over thousands of 'Save Meadowbank' petitions and protest at Edinburgh City Council's plans to demolish Meadowbank stadium to replace it with luxury houses.

We need sport not flats

One of the banners that was on display at last Saturday's public meeting in Meadowbank. It pretty much sums up the feelings of everyone from the public who attended.

March to save Meadowbank

Supporters of the campaign to Save Meadowbank will be marching from Meadowbank stadium to the City Chambers at 5pm on Friday 30th of March. Thousands of petitions demanding that Edinburgh City Council reverse it's decision to demolish Meadowbank stadium will be handed over to the council. Everyone is welcome to take part!

Meadowbank demolition 'still open' to debate says council

The decision on whether to demolish Meadowbank Stadium and replace it with a new sports facility in Sighthill is "still open", according to city leaders. Read more.

www.edinburghnews.com

Mark Ballard

Mark Ballard MSP, Green party, speaking at the Save Meadowbank public meeting held on March 17th 2007.

Colin Fox

Colin Fox SSP MSP, speaking at the Save Meadowbank public meeting held on March 17th 2007.

Margo MacDonald

Margo MacDonald, MSP, speaking at the Save Meadowbank public meeting held on March 17th 2007.

Gavin Strang

Gavin Strang, Labour MP, speaking at the Save Meadowbank public meeting held on March 17th 2007.

Stefan Tymkewycz

Stefan Tymkewycz from the SNP speaking at the Save Meadowbank public meeting held on March 17th 2007.

Donald Anderson

Donald Anderson from City of Edinburgh Council speaking at the Save Meadowbank public meeting held on March 17th 2007.

Sports group backs Meadowbank campaign

A group set up to push for better local sports facilities is backing the campaign to save Meadowbank Stadium. Read more.

www.edinburghnews.com

Public Meeting

There will be a Public Meeting to discuss Edinburgh Council's plan to sell Meadowbank to property developers in Hall 2 Of Meadowbank Sports Centre on Saturday, 17th March, between 3pm and 5pm.

Members of the public are invited to come along and discuss the council's proposals with councillors and politicians.

S2M-5663 Mark Ballard: Save Meadowbank Stadium

Mark Ballard, The Scottish Green Party MSP for Lothians, has put forward a motion to Save Meadowbank Stadium to the Scottish Parliament.

S2M-5663 Mark Ballard: Save Meadowbank Stadium — That the Parliament expresses concern at the proposed demolition of Meadowbank Stadium, home to the Commonwealth Games of 1970 and 1986; notes that stadia in Berlin, Helsinki, Stockholm and Los Angeles have all been successfully refurbished and all are older than Meadowbank Stadium; notes that the proposed transfer of the stadium to Sighthill would mean that two running tracks, the other at nearby Saughton, would sit on the west of the city, while stadium users from eastern and central Edinburgh would be expected to make a round journey of up to 12 miles and users from East Lothian would largely be excluded on the grounds of travel time and travel expense; rejects the loss of Scotland’s sporting heritage, Meadowbank having been home to Liz McColgan’s first Commonwealth title in 1986 and Lachie Stewart’s Commonwealth 10,000 metres victory over Ron Clarke in 1970 to name but two iconic performances, as well as being the training ground of Yvonne Murray, former European 3,000 metres Champion; notes that Meadowbank Stadium is home to Edinburgh Southern Harriers, currently the best women’s athletics club in the United Kingdom, having won last season’s UK League, a most notable feat for a Scottish club; notes the concerns of football clubs that use Sighthill Park for training; notes the objections of thousands of users, who have signed an ongoing petition, as well as coaches and their athletes who fear loss of facilities at a vital time in their preparations for 2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games; notes that the current public consultation does not extend to whether or not local people want the stadium demolished but only consults on ideas for the site when demolition is complete; rejects the logic that new facilities can only be funded by the sell-off of existing facilities; notes that this proposal is at odds with need to tackle Scotland’s appalling health record and growing obesity problem, and calls on the City of Edinburgh Council to work with the Scottish Executive to restore the neglected stadium as it is part of our national sporting heritage.

Save Meadowbank Campaign Launched

A campaign has today been launched to save Meadowbank Stadium.

Edinburgh Council plan to demolish the landmark and replace it with over eight hundred homes. Campaigners are concerned about the loss of sporting facilities and angry at the lack of consultation.

“At no time has there been any public or user consultation about selling Meadowbank,” said campaign spokesman Kevin Connor.

“Instead of asking our opinion, Edinburgh Council has issued a document stating housing is the most appropriate alternative use of the site and asking for comments on the proposed development.

“The current consultation does not extend to whether Meadowbank should be demolished. We only get to comment on their ideas for the site. Meadowbank Stadium is a major public asset and its status demands an effective consultation exercise.

“Already thousands of people have signed paper petitions. And an Internet petition to Tony Blair has attracted over 1,600 signatures.”

Bill Walker is an athletics coach who was formerly a manager at Meadowbank Stadium. He said: "I am very concerned. Meadowbank Stadium has produced many Olympic athletes and is used daily by hundreds of people from the immediate area and beyond.

"It is a long-term legacy for both the local community and the country. Yet two decades of neglect has left it needing modernisation. Money should be earmarked for its maintenance rather than its destruction. The Council state that it would not be viable to refurbish Meadowbank and has offered to provide only a small sports facility on a site that has been used for sporting purposes for generations. At a time when people are being encouraged to be fit and healthy, we don't need our politicians selling off a prime recreational facility like this for high density housing.

"Although the Council plan to build a smaller stadium at Sighthill, it is on the other side of the city and itself involves the destruction of several playing fields, leading to a net loss in the recreational facilities available.

"There are several existing sports complexes in west Edinburgh but there would be a serious lack of facilties near the centre should Meadowbank be demolished. People would also have to travel for up to one hour longer to reach the facilities they presently use."

“I urge people to sign the online petition at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Meadowbank/.”

The campaign group is apolitical and has been formed by concerned locals and sports groups. It has three aims:

-To reverse Edinburgh Council’s decision to demolish Meadowbank Stadium and sell off the cleared site to private housing developers.
-To call for refurbishment of the stadium using our public money, to specifications deemed fit by the centre’s users, local residents, and the wider public.
-To demand full and open public consultation on such major issues.

The campaign group has set up a website at http://savemeadowbank.org/ and can be contacted at savemeadowbank@blueyonder.co.uk.

The public consultation period ends on 30 March.

For further information about the campaign contact:
Kevin Connor 0131 468 4157 (home) or 0771 324 6570 (mobile)
e-mail: savemeadowbank@blueyonder.co.uk
website: http://savemeadowbank.org/

Leafleting and petitioning

Leafleting and petitioning as part of the campaign to save Meadowbank stadium and sports facilities from demolition will take place outside the stadium on Thursday 1st and Friday 2nd March from 5.30pm. Everyone is welcome to come along and help out.

There will also be a meeting on Mon 5th March at 7.30pm in a local venue. This meeting will be a chance to share ideas and develop an effective campaign strategy. Email savemeadowbank@blueyonder.co.uk for more information.

Save Meadowbank Stadium website

Campaigners aiming to save Meadowbank stadium from demolition have launched a website at:

http://www.savemeadowbank.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk./

Thousands want to give stadium a sporting chance

More than 3000 people have backed a campaign to save Meadowbank Stadium from demolition. Read more.

www.edinburghnews.com

Save Meadowbank Stadium petition

Bill Walker, a senior Edinburgh athletics coach, has set up an online petition to urge the Prime Minister to stop the proposed demolition of Meadowbank Stadium to make way for residential housing.

Sign the petition.

New Meadowbank development consultation deadline

The deadline for commenting on the Meadowbank Development Brief has been extended from March 9th to March 30th.

Find out more
E-mail: alison.kirkwood@edinburgh.gov.uk
Tel: 0131 469 3590
Website: City of Edinburgh Council - Meadowbank Development Brief

Have your say
Write a letter to: Head of Planning & Strategy, City Development Department, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG.

"Local people are being deceived"

Conflicting information from Councillors and the Planning Department, lead the Chair of the Craigentinny Community Council to conclude that local people are being deceived about plans for a new sports centre at Meadowbank.

In the minutes from the Craigenitnny Community Council meeting of Jan 22nd and the East Local Development Meeting of Jan 23rd, the Chair writes:

"In (my) opinion, as a non professional person in Planning and Council business, it seems that either the Planning department or the Council are trying to deceive us, the local people, on the plans for the new sports centre; and this is only after two consultation meetings. In which the Community Council feels that they have had their time wasted on the consultation up to now.

The only positive conclusion at the LDC (Local Development Committee) meeting was that there would be an extention of the planning deadline from 9th March to the first local partnership meeting of Craigentinny/Duddingston. This will be held after the May elections of the local Councillors"

Sighthill stadium plans rejected

Plans for the new stadium at Sighthill were sent back to the drawing board today after protests that it would make a poor venue for rugby. Read more.

In related developments, the Liberal Democratic party indicated that it did not see the need to sell Meadowbank.

The city's Lib Dem leader, Jenny Dawe, added: "We do not see the justification for selling off Meadowbank Stadium. The Sighthill scheme does not seem necessary and we should be looking at other ways of funding a refurbishment of the Commonwealth Pool."

www.edinburghnews.com

"Meadowbank has deliberately been run down"

Doug Gillan, the Herald athletics correspondant, laments City of Edinburgh Council's, "cavalier attitude to its sporting heritage, ambivalence towards future potential, and penny-pinching policies when it comes to sustaining facilities. Read more.

Sighthill residents angered by stadium plans

"The Capital's planned multi- million pound athletics and rugby stadium has sparked protests from residents angry it will be built on their only green space.

Community leaders said the development would "wreck" the neighbourhood and leave young people in Sighthill out in the cold." Read more.

www.edinburghnews.com

Plans for Sighthill Stadium unveiled

"Images of the proposed athletics and rugby arena at Sighthill were unveiled as it emerged that formal plans for the development - as well as those for an overhaul of the Commonwealth Pool - will be lodged within the next few months.

Councillors will be asked next week to support detailed plans for both projects and agree to use the proposed sell-off of Meadowbank Stadium to help meet the bulk of the £86 million cost." Read more.

www.edinburghnews.com

National Sports Facilities Strategy

At the Edinburgh East Local Development Committee meeting on the 23rd of Janaury 2007, the City of Edinburgh Council gave a presentation on the key points of the Meadowbank Development Brief and how it fits with the National Sports Facilities Strategy. They stressed their desire to have feedback on the proposals for Meadowbank sent to them by the March the 9th deadline.

There were a number of concerns raised by members of the public after the presentation. One of these related to 8.2 of the development brief, which states that the Meadowbank site will be marketed in early 2007, after the finalised development brief has been approved.

It was suggested that this is too soon to allow for feedback from the consultation period to be properly considered and that a revised draft should be prepared once the consultation period has ended. This should be presented to the community for further consideration before a finalised version is approved. This was supported (I think) by Cllr Ewan Aitken on the committee and added to the following committee motion.

The East Local Development Committee -
• Welcomes the commitment of City of Edinburgh Council to a new local sports facility in east Edinburgh as part of the package of improving sports facilities across the city.
• Notes that this will help increase the sports facilities across the city.
• Agrees that any new facility should be in place before the present facilities are closed.
• Agrees to respond to the consultation on the planning brief expressing the view that the choice for the new sports facility should allow for it to be built before the present site facilities are closed.
• Agrees to respond to the consultation on the planning brief with respect to affordable housing on the Meadowbank site should include significant number of family houses with access to front and back gardens.
• Agrees that a revised draft should be prepared once the consultation period has ended and that the revised draft should be presented to the community for further consideration before a finalised version is approved.

Objections
Cllr Lawrence Marshall objected to the motion, Cllr Marjorie Thomas said that the motion should not be accepted as more time was needed to consider the implications. (A position strongly supported by many members of the public in attendance). Cllr Ian Perry supported the motion and it was accepted by the Convener Cllr Shami Khan.

Craigentinny Community Council

At the Craigentinny Community Council meeting on the 22nd of January 2007, Alison Kirkwood and colleagues from the City of Edinburgh Council gave a presentation and answered questions on the Meadowbank Redevelopment Brief. Councillor Ewan Aitken was also present to answer questions.

The presentation gave an overview of the proposed development zones, highlighted that the plans are in draft form and that feedback submitted before the March 9th deadline will be considered before a finalised version is produced.

My impression was that the members of the community council were sceptical of the plans and very resistant to the scale of the proposed housing development.

The development proposes that the main sport and athletics facility on the East side of the city should be 'disposed' of in order to part finance a project to build a replacement sports facility at Sighthill, on the other side of the city.

There are a number of sports facilities already in that area of the city. The Saughton sports centre, which is home to a ‘huge range of outdoor sports’ including: four grass football pitches, five aside and seven aside football pitches on superturf, an enclosed football pitch and an athletics track, is close to Sighthill park. Craiglockhart sports centre and Meggetland playing fields are nearby and there's also a new facility at Drumbrea.

In contrast, the redevelopment plan for Meadowbank is asking local residents and users of this facility to accept a reduction from 10 hectares of land dedicated to sport, to 0.5 hectares (to include parking and access) for a new community centre.

A quote from Bill Walker, senior coach with the City of Edinburgh Athletic Club, sums up the disappointment shared by many at these plans:

"I'm extremely unhappy about what's happening to Meadowbank. The council has deliberately run-down the facilities there to sell the site for housing, and it will be a major loss to the area when it's gone. The west of the city has a number of facilities but there will be nothing at all in this area, which has been ideal for Meadowbank because of the close proximity of Holyrood Park."

The Scotsman website – article 5th December 2006

Meadowbank Development Brief

The City of Edinburgh Council has recently published detailed plans to sell off the land currently occupied by Meadowbank Stadium to property developers. The plans state that housing is the most appropriate use of the land and that a 'high density development is acceptable'.

The Meadowbank Redevelopment Brief informs us that the Council will use the money generated by the sale of Meadowbank to fund the refurbishment of the Commonwealth Pool and build new Sports facilities in the Sighthill area of the city.

There is an indication that some sports facilities will be retained at Meadowbank, but the specification for these 'has not been agreed'.

Find out more
E-mail: alison.kirkwood@edinburgh.gov.uk
Tel: 0131 469 3590
Website: City of Edinburgh Council - Meadowbank Development Brief

Have your say
The deadline for commenting on the Development Brief is 9 March 2007.
Write a letter to: Head of Planning & Strategy, City Development Department, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG.