The city council decided yesterday to spend £60,000 on looking at the possibility of renovating and retaining Meadowbank, so that they can then decide for or against the possibility of selling it.
As part of their budget motion the council agreed that £60,000 will be invested in assessing the future of Meadowbank Sports Centre. The Finance Convenor told The Reporter last week that all of the property owned by the council will be examined and that some might be sold in an attempt to capitalise on their assets.
It was in 2007 that the council had decided to sell the site for housing, resulting in a Save Meadowbank campaign springing up. And then later in 2007 the council decided to investigate an alternative to pulling down the stadium built for an earlier Commonwealth Games. So now it seems that all of the rhetoric from 2007 and the high profile protest which gathered thousands of signatures might be revisited. Sir Chris Hoy had apparently offered to forego his knighthood if his former training ground could be retained.
Alison Johnstone, Green MSP for Lothian and qualified athletics coach, is calling for Edinburgh city council to urgently deliver its promised study of options for Meadowbank Stadium.
Alison said:-“People in east Edinburgh, indeed across Lothian left the Council in no doubt about the importance of Meadowbank when the sale was proposed several years ago. Every public meeting held was packed with vocal and articulate supporters, centre users and international sportspeople.
“It is essential the users of the stadium and the wider community are thoroughly involved in the process. The east of Scotland has been left behind in the race to create a Commonwealth Games legacy and it’s high time we caught up for the sake of our young people, their health and their ambitions.
“While Glasgow invests in world class sporting infrastructure Edinburgh’s track and field and velodrome facilities have faced neglect and closure. These sports will play a central role in next year’s Games and we must have attractive, accessible venues that enable young and old to act upon the enthusiasm the Games will undoubtedly generate.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
