Building on pitches pays off for sports

Applecross' development at Meggetland playing fields has probably been one of the city's most controversial. When our partnership with Edinburgh City Council was announced, a partnership that involved the council selling us 12 per cent of the sports fields in return for an investment of 9 million, opposition groups appeared from everywhere.

MSPs came out against the proposal to build homes in order to invest in quality sports facilities. None of them, however, were able to point the city council in the direction of an alternative source of finance for improving the pitches.

I was delighted when the Scottish Executive's independent public inquiry ruled in favour of our partnership proposals. The inquiry found the proposal would allow 50 per cent more useable pitch space than was then available and that the local area and the city were well provided with pitches.

The inquiry reporter also found the vastly-improved changing facilities would be likely to encourage greater participation in sport. I particularly welcomed his comments that the creation of a park and the associated landscaping would improve what he described as a "windswept site with a collection of dilapidated buildings".

Now the construction of the new sports pitches and indoor facilities is complete, it is appropriate to reflect on this development in particular and the issue of building on sports fields in general. Indeed the Executive is consulting on a review of Scottish Planning Policy 11, Physical Activity and Open Space. Interestingly the Executive's document does not propose a total ban on developments on playing fields.

It argues that the main objective should be to ensure there are sufficient playing fields in terms of "quantity, quality and accessibility to satisfy demand within the community". Playing fields, the Executive argues, should not be developed except where, for example, the proposed development upgrades "an existing playing field to provide a better quality facility".

And this gets to the heart of the issue. There is no point in having acres and acres of sports fields if they are unusable. Research carried out by the council into the use of Meggetland showed that there was a consistent decline in the hiring of the sports pitches due to their abysmal quality.

Indeed clubs such as the Meggetland Ladies Hockey Club had ceased to use the hockey pitches as they were essentially unfit for purpose. And generations of children from Boroughmuir High School and its feeder primaries had not only to endure well below-par sports pitches, but also had to use changing rooms that had remained unimproved for decades.

I wonder how many potentially great sportsmen and women Scotland lost because as pupils they were turned off sport because of the state of the Meggetland sports pitches.

Investment in quality sporting facilities is also central to the success of a number of Executive policies. For example, on health grounds alone, there is a desperate need to provide the type of quality necessary to attract young boys away from computer games. There is growing concern in the medical community that Scottish youngsters' lack of physical activity will result in serious damage to their health when they reach their thirties and forties.

In particular the current growth in obesity will result in an increase in Type 2 diabetes with all its associated health problems.

There are, of course, other factors that put pressure on existing playing fields and on urban open space in general. Chief among those is the council's apparent determination to retain the city's existing green-belt boundaries.

Unless these boundaries are relaxed to allow the release of land to cater for much-needed family housing, land prices in the city will continue to rise and developers will build on any spaces that are available. After all, it is not as if there is not demand for housing in Edinburgh, indeed such is the lack of supply that the average Edinburgh house price is nearing 200,000.

Whatever view people take of our development at Meggetland there can be no doubt the finished sports pitches and indoor facilities are of such a high standard that they will be likely to attract young people to take part in sport.

Indeed I challenge anyone to look objectively at the finished product and argue that what existed before was better.

Despite the controversy that the development has caused it has, in my view, been worth it. No doubt the cynics will say of course it has, Applecross will make a profit. Indeed it will, that is why we are a successful company. My satisfaction comes, however, from the fact that I was fortunate enough to play basketball for Scotland.

I hope our investment in Meggetland, the biggest investment in sport in Edinburgh since the 1970 Commonwealth Games, will give some of today's youngsters the same chance I had: to wear a Scotland jersey.

• Colin Cumberland is managing director of Applecross Properties