Stadium campaigners hit out at council response

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save Meadowbank Stadium from destruction have criticised the council's handling of Freedom of Information requests.

Two campaigners who lodged FOI requests with the council have said they were not given the information they needed before consultation on the future of the stadium ended on March 30.

Fiona Greer lodged her FOI request on March 7, asking ten specific questions and pointing out that the information was due before the end of March.

But she says the council replied on April 3 with a brief three paragraph response that answered some questions and referred her to their website for the rest.

"I asked very specific questions about the lack of public consultation, who was involved in the process and ownership of the Stadium," she said. "I can't believe it took the council so long to send such a laughable response."

Kevin Connor lodged a more general FOI request on March 2, asking for "all information relating to the proposed sale and re-use of the Meadowbank Stadium site and the proposed stadium development at Sighthill".

He says the council took four weeks to respond, admitted having "a lot of information" but restricted their reply to a one-page explanation.

The council plans to demolish the stadium, sell off the land and replace it with thousands of homes by 2011, with the money from the land sale used to build a new, smaller sports centre on the site, and a new stadium in Sighthill.