Have your say on the new Meadowbank

The public are being invited to give their views on a new sports complex to replace the existing Meadowbank Stadium and Sports Centre.

The City of Edinburgh Council is intending to submit a planning application early next year as the kick-start for the project to deliver a modern, fully accessible high quality sports complex for sports clubs and the local community.

To help the Council shape the planning application they are asking people to let them know their views to ensure everyone’s needs are taken into account.

There is an online survey for people to take part in and two public information events will be held at Meadowbank Sports Centre on Thursday 17 and Tuesday 22 November both between 3pm and 8pm.

Current proposals for the new sports centre include:

• An outdoor athletics track with a 500 seat stand
• Two multi sport games halls
• Three fitness studios
• A gym
• A gymnastics hall
• Two squash courts
• A combat studio for martial arts
• A boxing gym with ring
• A 60m 6 lane indoor athletics track and jumps space
• An outdoor athletics track with jumps space
• An outdoor throwing area
• Two FIFA 1 3G (all weather) pitches – one which will be in the centre of the athletics track
• Cafe and meeting rooms

The first multi sport games hall would be equivalent in size to an eight court badminton hall with permanent seating for 420 and additional bleacher seating for 725. The second hall is set to be the equivalent of a four court badminton hall with permanent seating for 430.

The new centre will be partly funded by residential and commercial development on parts of the existing site that are not required for the new sports complex. This will include development of affordable and low cost housing through the Council’s 21st Century Homes Programme.

In addition to the planning application for the new sports complex, a masterplan for the wider site development will be submitted with the aim of gaining outline planning permission.

Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture and Sport Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We want the new Meadowbank Stadium and Sports Centre to be a venue fit for the 21st Century and the public’s views on our proposals are key to this.

“Transforming Meadowbank into a brand new sports complex would provide a modern, fully accessible high quality sports centre for sports clubs and the local community.

“I would urge everyone to tell us what they think about the range of facilities being proposed and the masterplan. The public can either take part in our online survey or come along to one of our two public information events.

“Not only would we see a new Meadowbank but more homes would be built to meet the city’s housing needs. The new venue will also bring health and wellbeing benefits across the city by supporting even more people to become and stay active.

“Public consultation on our proposals and submitting a planning application are the next important steps to realise our ambition of redeveloping Meadowbank.”

June Peebles, chief executive of Edinburgh Leisure, added: “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. However, appreciating the age of the venue and the changing needs of customers, it is in need of attention.

“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.”

The existing Meadowbank was originally built for Edinburgh’s 1970 Commonwealth Games (

Boogie on down for free!

Free Fitness Taster Night at Meadowbank

Edinburgh Leisure is hosting a free fitness taster night at Meadowbank Sports Centre on Thursday 28 April. Continue reading Boogie on down for free!

PoLCATs pounce at Older People event!

Port of Leith Housing Association’s PoLCATs (Port of Leith Community Action Team) volunteered at last week’s Older People event at Meadowbank Sports Centre.

The event was attended by more than 400 people, and around 100 took part in a Big Fit Walk, organised by Edinburgh Leisure’s Aging Well group. Three different walks were on offer, bronze, silver and gold, each differing in length and difficulty. All started at Meadowbank, with the silver and gold walks progressing into Queen’s Park.

To ensure the walkers were kept on route the PoLCATs acted as marshalls. They also prepared lunch packs, handed out medals to those completing the walks and carried out questionnaires. The busy team then served up teas and scones to those attending an afternoon tea dance event.

Claire Ironside, Director of Customer Services at PoLHA, said: “We’re committed to helping local neighbourhoods and, having already carried out a number of PoLCATs initiatives, we were delighted to assist with the Older People event.”

Stars head North for roller derby showdown

Saturday’s second and final Edinburgh Fringe roller derby game, hosted by Auld Reekie Roller Girls, will be a stellar all-Northern all star line-up (writes Lucy Glennie).

Fabulous skaters from teams across Scotland and northern England will pit their speed, stamina and agility against each other to determine the victor.

The two all-female teams will each field a jammer, who will strive to get past four opposing blockers to score points. The teams will aim to outwit, out sprint and hit their opponents out of play using only the power of their bodies and minds.

This Saturday’s game comes hot on the heels of Auld Reekie’s All Star Reserves’ incendiary head-to-head against Glasgow Roller Derby’s Maiden Grrders on 8 August. Active Edinburgh’s sponsorship of the first Fringe game really helped things go with a bang!

The next game will be a special evening event, building on the excitement of the last, with a stadium full of fans and a licensed bar. This is an inclusive, family-friendly event celebrating strength, teamwork and friendship for young and old, regular and brand new fans.

All welcome at Meadowbank Stadium, Edinburgh on Saturday 15 August, 7 – 9.30pm.

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.