Public Petitions Committee: e-Petitions

Provision of sports facilities

City of Edinburgh Council decided at its 13th March 2008 Full Council Meeting to demolish Meadowbank Sports Centre and Velodrome, and to sell off much of the land for housing. The Chief Executive’s report (http://cpol.edinburgh.gov.uk/getdoc_ext.asp?DocId=109262)on which their decision was based indicatives that upwards of a third of the site will be sold off, and that a much smaller facility will be built on the part of the site where the velodrome currently stands. http://savemeadowbank.wordpress.com/story-so-far/)

Within the report, there is no provision for all-weather [mainly football] pitches; a reduction from the current provision of 19 indoor sports halls down to 7; inappropriate positioning of the athletics track; no throws area; no dedicated gymnastics hall… The list goes on.

In addition, while the decision to sacrifice the Meadowbank Velodrome has been made, the report deals with the legitimate objections by noting “further work is required to… identify a solution to providing a training facility for cycling”. Cycling is one of Scotland’s most successful medal-yielding sports; these athletes and coaches deserve more than a reference to a vague consultation.

While a competition track will be built in Glasgow by 2014, much of the cycling expertise (coaches), and many of the riders, are based in or around Edinburgh. In Melbourne’s 2006 Commonwealth Games, half of the fourteen-member Scottish cycling squad that brought home 8 medals including 3 golds were either born or live in Edinburgh.

For a track cyclist, it is clear that easy access to a cycle track is key. Our experience with the Council indicates that, for financial reasons, the provision of a cycle track is very far down their priority list.

The report proposes the following indicative provision for the future facility:

Sports halls (7)

Rooms (2)

The implications of this plan should be clear when we compare the proposed list with the current provision:

Sports halls (19)

Rooms (5)

4 sports courts; Dry Changing; Martial Arts; Fitness; 1 no Studio; Function room; Soft Play; Youth Room

Even at its current size, Meadowbank is often unable to meet the demand. To reduce its capacity will have predictable consequences for the number of medals won by Scottish-based athletes in 2012, 2014, and beyond.

Less prominent, but equally as significant are the social and health implications. Less capacity means more people being turned away more often. What other activities will they ‘choose’ to partake in? Who will take the blame for any rise in antisocial behaviour: the kids whose sports facilities were taken from under their feet; or the local and national governments who failed to live up to their rhetoric?

The health benefits of an active lifestyle are well documented and frequently promoted. Will our lives become more or less sedentary as sports provision is reduced?

The current Justice Minister (and constituency MSP covering the Meadowbank area), Kenny MacAskill agrees. Along with prospective Cllr Stefan Tymkewycz (since elected), he issued the following election communication prior to May 2007:

“Over the past few years the Labour run council have sold off too many of our public facilities. Lost forever the playing fields at Hawkhill, the allotments at Abbeyhill and part of Lochend Park is now being built on. Unless they are stopped we face the further loss of Meadowbank Stadium and possibly the golf course at Portobello Public Park.

Our recent campaign to preserve our local playing fields and facilities has received overwhelming support. We had a great response and it is clear that the residents of the east of Edinburgh understand much better than the council the need to preserve our sports facilities and open spaces. What we need is more public facilities not less. If we want to solve the problems of vandalism, anti-social behaviour and the growing level of obesity in our children, then we have to give our young people the opportunity to get involved in sport or other worthwhile activities. We need to increase the recreational facilities in our ever-expanding city for all residents, young and old, and allow them some choice of how they spend their free time.

The local SNP totally disagree with the policy of selling our public spaces. If we lose more of our parks and open spaces for housing or other development they will be lost to us forever. We will continue the campaign to maintain our public facilities. They must be preserved for the use of all the community.

How sincere is this government’s commitment? How seriously does the government take the issues raised above?

Many thousands of elite and ordinary sports enthusiasts, local and wider Edinburgh residents, and many others from throughout Scotland and far beyond have shown their opposition to any selling off and downsizing of Meadowbank.

Meadowbank should be upgraded without the loss of any of the site or the facilities. Ordinary people and government rhetoric demands it.

This petition was raised by:

Chris Gallacher

See the petition