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Officials at the local authority last night confirmed that “preliminary discussions” were under way with club officials and the Scottish Rugby Union, which runs the team. However, the plans are likely to be controversial because they are likely to threaten the future of other facilities at the site, which include a cycling velodrome and several sports pitches.
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CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Sport
Threat to Meadowbank velodrome?
(54 posts)-
Posted 12 years ago #
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"An un-named developer is believed to have offered to rebuild the existing main stand at Meadowbank on condition that it is allowed to sell off other facilities on the site."
Hmm, this sounds familiar."However, the plans are likely to be controversial because they are likely to threaten the future of other facilities at the site,"
Hmm, so does this.
"secret deals that are being done in the background without any consultation with the local community."
HmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmPosted 12 years ago # -
It's a shame that facilities that are used by amateurs (i.e. Joe Public) should be threatened by making way for professional sports teams. SRU seems to have overlooked that they've got a rather large rugby stadium already at Murrayfield.
Posted 12 years ago # -
SRU seems to have overlooked that they've got a rather large rugby stadium already at Murrayfield.
Apparently that 'lacks atmosphere' ie. Edinburgh Rugby don't have enough fans to create any atmosphere.
So obviously the velodrome will have to make way for yet another supermarket, after all it's 'just cyclists'.
Posted 12 years ago # -
To be fair, Edinburgh matches are completely soul-less at Murrayfield, not sure why they need to remove the velodrome to fix this though....
Posted 12 years ago # -
To be fair, Edinburgh matches are completely soul-less at Murrayfield
Like this?
Seems more a problem of insufficient support. After all, the national stadium presumably has all the facilities the side could need.
As to Meadowbank, the Council see it as an "issue" which they wish would go away. Thankfully the proposal to relocate to Sighthill was unsuccessful. I really don't see why the east side of the city needs another supermarket: there are two within 5-10 mins walk of Meadowbank as it is.
Do we need a "Save Meadowbank Velodrome" campaign?
Could just copy and paste the one from last time around:
Posted 12 years ago # -
Edinburgh get a few thousand supporters at best, Murrayfield holds >70k people its never going to get an atmosphere in that.
Edinburgh is also never going to get the kind of support that even Hearts or Hibs get purely because club rugby is a minority sport in Britain. You'd get exactly the same result if it you transplanted the velodrome to the middle of Murrayfield, ie not enough support.A smaller stadium would probably help the team get better support the cost of running Murrayfield is huge so the tickets are quite expensive, as mentioned its soul less so not much fun. A smaller cheaper stadium with a bit of atmosphere would likely improve things.
Not sure why the proposal was "thankfully" rejected...
Posted 12 years ago # -
I think it's daft that nobody has come up with the simple Dave solution:
Sell the incredibly valuable city-centre-by-Arthurs-seat real estate that the velodrome sits on, and build a new velodrome somewhere cheap, like Midlothian. (Or at least, somewhere cheaper within the city limits - there are tons of brownfield sites that could be used, such as the acres in front of our office here in Leith).
Then everyone would be happy - the cyclists would have a new velodrome, the council would be shot of the land, and the real estate speculators would have their land.
Posted 12 years ago # -
You guys must be incredible optimists. If (or when) the council flogs off the land where the velodrome currently stands, there will be no replacement. The council can just point west and say there's an international standard indoor velodrome in Glasgow. Then they'll get on with upgrading the main stadium to suit Edinburgh Rugby.
How is this good for cycling in Edinburgh?
Murrayfield may be too big for Edinburgh Rugby, but in comparison the velodrome is extremely dilapidated and can only be used in dry weather. It may be barely adequate but it's the only facility for track cycling in the city. Once it's gone, it's gone.
Posted 12 years ago # -
The council "got" the Velodrome thanks to the Commonwealth games and think has spent the rest of the time since then wishing it didn't have it - because it costs money to run and maintain and frankly I don't think they can be bothered or prioritise investment in it to try and make it pay. I'm not sure who paid for the Commonwealth games, but the velodrome (and the legacy of the rest of the Commonwealth facilities) was a gift to the nation and gave us two world/olympic champion track cyclists in Hoy and Obree.
If Edinburgh Rugby can't attract a big enough crowd to fill Murrayfield to even 1/10th of capacity and Meadowbank as it is isn't big or grand enough, what would be wrong with them (as a professional sports club) entering negotiations with one of the other 2 perennially cash-strapped professional sporting organisations with medium sized stadiums they can't fill either?
I'm inclined to agree with Crowriver that the council's attitude to the Meadowbank complex has been one of being desperate to rid itself of it at any cost, be it turning it into houses, supermarkets or now a rugby stadium. You might get one winner in Edinburgh Rugby, but everyone else, from athletics to badminton to gymnastics to track cycling will lose out. And Scotland will still be rubbish at rugby!
Of course now that there's a bust in the tiny-flat-building industry that might have paid over the odds for the land that Meadowbank sits on, Supermarkets are about the only organisations left with big pockets willing to spend on big tracts of city centre land to turn into sheds with attached car parks. The last thing that Edinburgh needs is more drive-to supermarkets. It desperately needs more and better sporting facilities (for the populace to use) though.
I do like the Dave solution. There's oodles of brownfield land at Granton, around Leith Docks / Western Harbour just crying out to be built on. Even a budget velodrome (with a roof) would be sufficient. Heck they could even pull up the planking of the existing one and re-lay it to save on money and just stick a Dynamic-earth style kevlar tent on top to keep the rain out!
Posted 12 years ago # -
If there's been any point in the last 20 years when a velodrome has a chance of making money or just covering costs, it's surely now, with recent and probable future Olympic success and the fixie craze not over yet.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I'm not saying the velodrome etc should be sold off. However Meadowbank is in a sorry state and desperately needs money throwing at it. Regular maintenance needs to be paid for and a professional team can provide that in rent.
Rugby and football will never be able to co-exist there would be too many conflicts in the respective calenders.
Honestly I can't see how they can justify running Ratho and not the velodrome it must be much cheaper, but if the choice was the velodrome or one of the small community baths I would chose the local pools.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"I can't see how they can justify running Ratho and not the velodrome"
Interesting point.
Apparently Glasgow spents twice as much per head on 'sport' £65/32
Only Outer Hebrides spends less - £31.
Posted 12 years ago # -
I think they justify running Ratho in the number of kiddies parties folk at my work seem to have out there.
Posted 12 years ago # -
It does seem to be the new Little Marcos.
Ratho irks me somewhat, they've put a roof over a popular wall, then built some artificial walls in front of it. Again there are plenty of brown field sites that could have held everything that Ratho has for a fraction of the price and in location that people can actually get to.
Posted 12 years ago # -
" Apparently Glasgow spents twice as much per head on 'sport' £65/32"
Would have thought that the £37.2M on The Commie over last 2 years exceeded that figure on its own - or is that more classed as a 'capital' project (a bit like the roads budget v line painting budget)?
Posted 12 years ago # -
Well they closed Leith Waterworld, which was popular but apparently losing money and had "issues". Instead of bulldozing it as per the original proposal, the Greens got a motion carried to sign LW over to a community bid to run the facility instead of Edinburgh Leisure. Time will tell whether that works.
I wonder though if a similar model would work for Meadowbank velodrome? Clearly the council want rid. Instead of bulldozing and building a supermarket, could the cycling fraternity run the facility?
Presumably the serious track cyclists will use Glasgow's new indoor facility, so will there be enough demand for a velodrome in Edinburgh?
Posted 12 years ago # -
"so will there be enough demand for a velodrome in Edinburgh?"
Why not?
The Manchester velodrome is used by far more people than could imagine they were 'interested in cycle racing'.
Of course one of the attractions is that it has got a roof - so no weather probems.
A roof was planned for Meadowbank many years ago, but that ended badly.
More recently there were serious attempts - and expectations - for an indoor track at Hunters Hall (next to Jack Kane Centre) but that ended.
By coincidence the new Scottish Schools Cycle Speedway League has been meeting in a hall at the JKC.
This demonstrates that there is an interest in various forms of racing with bicycles.
In another Edinburgh perhaps this could all come together with a purpose-built all-weather facility.
Falcons Indoor 231011 by tommy7lee, on FlickrPosted 12 years ago # -
The days when the sale of a city centre site could pay for buying land and replacing an existing (decrepit) building with a new facility are long gone (if they ever existed - people tend to a) over-estimate the sale proceeds and b) underestimate the cost of the new facility.)
You usually need a Games with a capital g to get something like of velodrome built, but Derby's just put a planning application in for one in a new sports complex:
Roller Derby
A bit of vision, and "clubs across the Midlands and from as far afield as Bristol have been in touch with the council to ask about booking sessions, despite the fact that the track is not due to open for two years."Posted 12 years ago # -
"have been in touch with the council to ask about booking sessions"
Interesting!
Of course Edinburgh already has an indoor cycling facility - http://www.transgressionpark.com - in addition to the outdoor one at Saughton.
It's not really about green/brown/central/peripheral/housing/supermarkets is more about whether cycling is as important as climbing/diving/rugby/golf.
Shouldn't be a difficult case to make...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Well they closed Leith Waterworld, which was popular but apparently losing money and had "issues".
I think Leith Waterworld always had "issues". Certainly the flumes and the rubber-ring rapids were perenially shut when it first open and I was of the age of their clientel. It then shut at one point for a year or more something to do with the sealing of the tiling.
Posted 12 years ago # -
"I think Leith Waterworld always had "issues"."
Maybe it should become a velodrome.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Here is a model that works dahn sawf: Herne Hill velodrome, built for the 1948 Olympics (and the only remaining structure), run entirely by volunteers. Looks like it's thriving, despite a fancy new indoor Olympic velodrome at Stratford...
http://www.hernehillvelodrome.com/
Could something like this work for Edinburgh? Yes, the weather's wetter/colder here, but still...
Posted 12 years ago # -
Herne Hill Velodrome is one of the best cycling tracks in the UK & it is the last remaining finals venue from the 1948 Olympic Games that is still in active use. Hopefully it will have a very important role to play in the 2012 Games, not as a competition or training venue, but as a vital grass-roots facility to develop the riders that will take part in 2012.
Herne Hill will of course always host top quality racing, but equally important is its role as a track where children can begin their cycling careers. It was designed in such a way that everyone, from novice to Olympic Champion, can ride it. Bradley Wiggins started at Herne Hill, and now we have secured its future, we can carry on the search in London for the Olympic Champions of 2012 and beyond.
The track is 450m long with the steepest part of the banking at 30 degrees. It was designed to make riding and racing a pleasure & a thrill at the same time.
Training & racing take place at Herne Hill all year round depending on the weather - even in the wet there are mountain bike sessions for kids on a Saturday.
Velo Club de Londres (VCL) has a long-standing affinity with Herne Hill and was formed with its base at the Velodrome many years ago, with the aim of becoming a successful youth orientated cycling club. The club has gone from strength to strength and after a short spell in 2005 when with the velodrome closed, it was without a home, it has now taken on the day to day running of the velodrome on a voluntary basis in conjunction with British Cycling.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Wonderful photos of Meadowbank here:
http://www.photographyserved.com/Gallery/Edinburgh-Veledrome/248344
Posted 12 years ago # -
More great photos here:
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/70002/details/edinburgh+london+road+meadowbank+sports+centre/
Posted 12 years ago # -
Tommy Banks keeps an eye on his opponent at Meadowbank Velodrome in Edinburgh during the 1970 Commonwealth Games.
Posted 12 years ago # -
Herne Hill is concrete(?) so is more 'all weather' than Meadowbank's wood.
Whole racing weekends have been drizzled off.
I get the impression some people in 'mainstream' cycle sport have been ground down to a standstill fighting for a 'replacement' track.
This was 2008 -
http://savemeadowbank.wordpress.com/about/chris-hoy-video/case-for-grassroots-facilities
Posted 12 years ago # -
Whole racing weekends have been drizzled off.
I know. Last summer's track championships spring to mind. Yet Edinburgh doesn't have that much more rain than London on average. It's pretty dry here compared to Glasgow, for example.
I get the impression some people in 'mainstream' cycle sport have been ground down to a standstill fighting for a 'replacement' track.
Now that the replacement is coming to Glasgow, Meadowbank is in danger of disappearing altogether. I'd say the struggle would be to keep Meadowbank maintained as is, and hopefully in future get it improved, maybe even a roof of sorts if money can be found.
Chris Hoy's piece in Scotland On Sunday still relevant:
Posted 12 years ago # -
"maybe even a roof of sorts if money can be found"
Has anything been costed lately?
Posted 12 years ago #
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