Euan McGrory: Meadowbank getting a shrinking feeling

Edinburgh is often accused of failing to invest in sport.
An artist's impression of the proposed new Meadowbank sports centreAn artist's impression of the proposed new Meadowbank sports centre
An artist's impression of the proposed new Meadowbank sports centre

We look enviously down the M8 at the range of top class facilities that Glasgow - in the wake of its successful Commonwealth Games - and several English cities boast.

The contrast with Edinburgh is stark. Only the Commie Pool - a world class facility once again since its refurbishment - now remains as a legacy of our Commonwealth Games, the most recent now 32 years ago. The velodrome where Sir Chris Hoy first trained in Edinburgh has been usurped by the Glasgow venue that now bears his name.

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The £40 million Meadowbank refurbishment looks increasingly like one step forward and one step back. We knew already that it would not be able to hold major events like international athletics it did in its pomp. But the breakdown produced by campaigners - as we report on page 13 today - will fuel concerns about regular users of the centre finding themselves squeezed out after the redevelopment is complete.

Their calculations suggest as much as 40 per cent of the existing facilities will be lost with casual users of yoga and fitness classes perhaps bearing the brunt. If that is true, it’s not clear where else they can go.