Sporting chance to buy out Meadowbank

Published on Tuesday 17 July 2007 11:51

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Meadowbank Stadium are setting up a trust in a bid to launch a community buy-out.

Sports groups and community representatives would head a trust running the facility under plans being drawn up by the Save Meadowbank Campaign.

Their plans have been inspired by similar ventures in other parts of the UK, including a trust in London, which owns and runs 23 acres of land with two sports centres.

With the Meadowbank site valued at 44 million, due to interest from house-builders, the campaigners bid would be the most ambitious yet attempted.

The trust - called Sporting Trusts Edinburgh and Lothians (STEAL) - would apply for funding from the National Lottery and other sources, as well as exploring options such as bank loans, and issuing bonds to supporters.

The campaigners are being advised by the Development Trusts Association Scotland, which has helped a number of Lothians community projects, including the Fisherrow Trust.

Kevin Ferguson, STEAL's co-ordinator, said: "It is a huge step, we are not kidding ourselves, but the feedback so far has been overwhelmingly positive.

The fact there is appetite for this shows the council are not looking after the sports facilities as the community wishes."

The council has a cross-party working group currently examining the different options for the future of Meadowbank. Existing plans rely on using some of the money from the sale of the 37-year-old Meadowbank to fund the refurbishment of the Commonwealth Pool. However, it is possible that part of the site would be sold for development.

City chiefs have poured cold water on the idea, but the charitable trust behind similar ventures said it should not be dismissed.

Wendy Reid, a development officer with Development Trusts Association Scotland, said STEAL's goal was ambitious but achievable.

She said: "The crucial thing with any development trust is that you have a group that are willing to regenerate through economic development. Taking control of an asset and using it to regenerate the community is crucial."

The Westway Development Trust in North Kensington, London, was borne out of a campaign against plans to build a motorway through disused council land in the 1970s. Campaigners took control of this land and other community facilities.

Local councillor Stefan Tymkewycz, said the trust was "an interesting concept" but declined to comment further as he is a member of the Meadowbank working group, which is meant to report back by September.

Councillor Paul Godzik, Labour's spokesman for leisure, culture and sport, said: "I think people will not be bothered about who is running the facilities, but rather if the facilities are up to 21st-century standards. The real question is just how much [the trust] will be able to bring it up to these standards and how will that be financed.

A city council spokesman said: "Meadowbank is currently run by a trust - Edinburgh Leisure. The council has no intention of considering any other trust to run the facility."