Meadowbank Stadium site consultation 'misleading'

Campaigners have accused Edinburgh City Council of attempting to mislead the public in a consultation over the future of Meadowbank.

In June, a council committee granted outline permission for the site to be developed for mixed use, including housing.

It also agreed to detailed proposals to refurbish the sports centre.

Two public sessions were held last week to gather comments on how the Meadowbank site should be developed.

Campaigners claim this included several maps which showed a different site boundary from the one approved by the council's development management sub-committee - but council officials insist the rules are being met.

'Disingenuous and misleading'

The detailed plans for the Meadowbank sports centre were also agreed in June and are not part of the consultation.

Save Meadowbank campaigner Heather Peacock said: "The maps and diagrams shown as part of the consultation are misleading because they fail to accurately show the area covered by the consultation.

"When the council's planning sub-committee approved the Meadowbank plan on 29 June only two documents were approved.

"One was for a site perimeter fence. The other was a location plan which shows the entire Meadowbank site, not just a sub-section of it.

"Edinburgh Council is required to consult on the entire site but its consultation fails to mention this. There is a sports-centre sized hole within the maps they displayed at last week's consultation events."

She added: "It is disingenuous and misleading for the council to claim the consultation is about only part of the site. The approved location plan is clearly for the entire site, not a sub-section of it.

"The council is, in effect, attempting to move the goalposts by trying to convince people they should only comment on part of the site. This questionable tactic raises further doubt about the validity of the consultation."

'Seeking views'

The council denies claims the public are being misled and that different site boundaries are being presented for consultation.

A council spokesman said: "On 29 June 2018, the council's planning committee approved two planning applications. One granted full planning permission for the development of a new sports centre facility, bringing us another step closer to seeing the new Meadowbank built. Once open, it will be one of the best facilities of its kind in the whole country.

"The other planning application granted permission in principle for mixed use development on the land which isn't required for the new sports centre - much of which is currently derelict.

"We are now seeking views on what should be developed on this land."