Sports centre vision to keep athletes on right track to success

Published on Friday 12 September 2008 10:08

SPORTS leaders today gave their backing to the idea of building a new velodrome, canoe and judo centre in Leith.

Independent Lothians MSP Margo MacDonald said redevelopment of the docks area offered an ideal opportunity for a sports centre of excellence to offer training for top athletes but also provide for community use and outdoor education for schools.

And she estimated the project could be completed for between 10 million and 15m.

Ms MacDonald acknowledged that a state-of-the-art velodrome was to be built in Glasgow for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, but said Edinburgh needed a replacement for the one facing demolition at Meadowbank.

She estimated a covered velodrome could be built for 4m.

She said: "The centre of the track has nothing going on, so we propose to have that as a space for judo, which is looking for a suitable venue for elite competitors and community participants."

And she said the velodrome could be developed alongside a world-class white water course for canoeing, kayaking and rafting, using shared facilities. A white water centre in Cardiff cost 5m to develop, she said.

"The resulting centre of coaching expertise could prove very attractive to coaches and competitors alike. Without such a centre, people will continue to work and train outside Scotland."

The idea was backed by Scottish Cycling director David Hoy, the father of triple Olympic gold medal winner Chris.

He said: "I would be supportive of anything that gives us a replacement for the velodrome.

"In principle, it would be a fantastic development and give the city long-overdue and much-needed sports facilities."

Scots canoeist Stewart Pitt, who took part in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, said the proposal would allow up-and-coming water sports stars to train in Scotland rather than Nottingham. He said: "Scotland was the only nation to win an Olympic medal this year which does not have an artificial white water course."

He said a white water centre at Leith could cater for everyone from beginners right up to world-class athletes.

He also backed the idea of linking it with a velodrome and judo centre. "If you have elite sports people from different sports training in one space, they can learn from each other and we can save on development costs, gym facilities, physios and so on."

A council spokesman said: "We are currently taking advice from Scottish Cycling and others about what type of facility Edinburgh and the east of Scotland needs."

Forth Ports said it was aware of the idea and would look at any proposal which had a strong case.