Plans for multi-million pound Meadowbank upgrade unveiled Edinburgh’s Meadowbank Sports Centre and Stadium could be set for a multi-million pound upgrade under new plans. Built for Edinburgh’s 1970 Commonwealth Games, it could now be replaced with a £43m sports centre complete with a new outdoor athletics track with seating for 500. However, the plans depend on filling a funding gap of up to almost £20m and city councillors will decide on its future in February during their annual budget meeting. If the funding is not approved, they will look at options for withdrawing services over the next five years. Under the proposals, which The Sports Consultancy helped develop, the new facility would also have a 3G synthetic sports or grass pitch in the centre for football and rugby, an outdoor throws area and another outdoor 3G pitch. Indoors there will be a 60m six lane track with jumps, a sports hall with eight badminton courts, another hall with four badminton courts and 500 seats and a gymnastics hall, gym, studios, changing rooms, cafe and meetings rooms. The overall cost of the work would be £43m and this would be achieved through funding from SportScotland of between £5m to £7m and through the sale of land near the site. This would leave funding of between £11.3m and £19.8m. If the plans are agreed and funding is secured, the new stadium could be ready by 2018. Richard Lewis, culture and sport convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “The feasibility study requested by the Council in February 2014 has now been completed and before progressing further, a decision from Council is required as to whether it can meet the £11.3mm to £19.8m funding shortfall currently projected. Over half a million users visit Meadowbank every year and it is a much-loved city sports facility, but we will need to consider how we can source funding for a project of this scale given the financial pressures the council faces.”
