Edinburgh’s budget: what future for Meadowbank?

Can city afford to meet funding shortfall of over £11.3 million?

Councillors will be asked to consider the future of Meadowbank Sports Centre and Stadium as part of the city council’s budget considerations if proposals to be presented to next week’s Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee are agreed.

As Meadowbank heads towards its fiftieth birthday, a report on potential costs and scoping for a replacement venue that would be “fit for the 21st Century” will be presented to the Committee on 20 January. Members will be asked to refer the proposals for a new venue for a decision as part of the Council’s budget considerations on 12 February.

Funding options and architectural design concepts for replacing Meadowbank, which was originally built for Edinburgh’s 1970 Commonwealth Games, have been developed with input from relevant governing bodies of sport. The plans would see the existing site transformed into a brand new sports centre that would serve the sporting needs of the local community as well as the city and east of Scotland with facilities for physical activity, health and wellbeing.

The funding proposals estimate the overall cost of building a new Meadowbank facility as £43m. It is envisaged that this will be achieved through funding from SportScotland of between £5m to £7m; revenue savings to the Council from closing the facilities during construction; prudential borrowing based on forecasts for net income and through the sale of surplus land at Meadowbank. This would leave funding required to be identified by the Council of between £11.3m and £19.8m.

Should funding be agreed by Council on 12 February, a new Meadowbank would include:

• An outdoor athletics track with seating for 500
• An indoor 60m six lane athletics track with jumps area
• An outdoor throws area
• A 3G synthetic sports pitch or grass pitch in the centre of the outdoor athletics track for football, rugby and other pitch sports
• An additional outdoor 3G synthetic sports pitch
• An eight badminton court sports hall with 500 permanent seats plus bleachers (the same size as the current Meadowbank Hall 1)
• A four badminton court sports hall with 500 permanent seats(the same size as the current Meadowbank Hall 2)
• A gymnastics hall, gym, studios, changing facilities, café, meeting rooms.

If these current plans are agreed, and funding is secured, the new Meadowbank could be ready by 2018. If the decision is taken not to proceed, however, options for a planned withdrawal of service at Meadowbank over the next five years will be identified.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture and Sport Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “For almost 50 years now, Meadowbank has nurtured sporting participation at all levels – from those taking part for recreational and health benefits to those training for success and medals on a Scottish and international stage. It feels right that after Scotland’s successful Commonwealth Games 2014, we kick off 2015 by considering the future of the country’s very first Games venue.

“The feasibility study requested by the Council in February 2014 has now been completed and before progressing further, a decision from Council is required as to whether it can meet the £11.3m to £19.8m funding shortfall currently projected.

“Over half a million users visit Meadowbank every year and it is a much-loved city sports facility, but we will need to consider how we can source funding for a project of this scale given the financial pressures the Council faces.

“If agreed by the Corporate Policy and Strategy Committee, the future of Meadowbank will form part of the Council’s budget considerations for the next financial year.”

June Peebles, Interim Chief Executive of Edinburgh Leisure, said: “Meadowbank is part of Edinburgh’s sporting heritage and continues to attract thousands of customers, participating in a wide range of physical activities, through its doors every week.

“Edinburgh Leisure is therefore delighted to be working with the Council on this exciting project which could create a new Meadowbank for the city, creating an inspiring and welcoming venue that supports even more people to get active, stay active and achieve more.”