November 4, 2009
Meadowbank campaigners begin to see light
The long running campaign to save Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Stadium – the city’s only athletics facility – has been given a major boost. Council officials have been told by Scottish Government to remove any references to a sell-off of Meadowbank from the City’s Local Plan
Edinburgh Council has been told to remove references to Meadowbank Stadium from its local plan.
Scottish Government reporters Richard Bowden and Dan Jackman made this recommendation after considering objections from over 1,700 individuals and organisations.
In their report, which has been published on the Council website, they wrote: “At this stage the plans or proposals for the Meadowbank site are not sufficiently advanced or robustly articulated within an overall sport and recreation development strategy to justify any designation or allocation to be placed on the Meadowbank site when the local plan is adopted.”
They went on to say they do not endorse a pre-inquiry change proposed by the Council. Instead, they recommend the deletion of several items relating to Meadowbank from the local plan.
Save Meadowbank campaigners today welcomed their recommendations. Kevin Connor said: “More people objected to the proposals for Meadowbank than any other item in the Edinburgh local plan. I am pleased the reporters listened to what was said and seem to have agreed with our view that the Council’s plans for Meadowbank make no sense.
“Despite this victory, Meadowbank’s future remains in doubt. Although the public want to see an upgraded Meadowbank, the ruling Lib Dem/SNP administration still want to demolish the popular international facility and replace it with a mini version surrounded by luxury flats. Just because it has been removed from the local plan doesn’t mean they have changed their intention.”