25 signatures reached
To: Elected Members of the Scottish Parliament
Save Meadowbank - People before Private Profiteers
The petition has two functions, one for supporters to sign the petition which we will deliver to MSP's and secondly to give you a chance to email your local MSP. We have drafted a letter below which you can copy and alter as needed and use the following link to find your local MSP and send to them: https://www.writetothem.com/)
"I write to you as my representatives within the Scottish Parliament and ask that you use whatever powers in your gift to prevent the City of Edinburgh Council from approving current proposals for the Meadowbank Stadium site.
The Meadowbank site has been closed pending the approval of two planning applications (18/00181/FUL) and (18/00154/PPP).
I request that you, as my MSP, ask Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister, if she is aware that the City of Edinburgh Council are undermining the Scottish Government policies on Community Empowerment by railroading these applications through, with the bare legal minimum consultation process, as well as undermining Scotland’s sporting future and the health of Edinburgh’s citizens.
I also request that the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Shona Robison, is asked how the reduction of 40% of sports facilities that serve the whole of Edinburgh and have produced medal winning sporting figures, as well as the purge of a football club that has supported the local community for decades, fits in with her “Healthier Future” actions on tackling obesity and providing better outcomes for our Scottish Youngsters.
Finally, I request that the Minister for Local Government & Housing, Kevin Stewart, is asked what his view is on the City of Edinburgh Council's selling off public amenities and open space for high density private housing when 53 brownfield sites, identified for use, remain untouched.
The City of Edinburgh Council needs to put a temporary postponement on these planning applications to allow the local community to be fully involved in a Place-making exercise. The need for social housing is understood and a compromise may be possible but only with the full consent of the people of Edinburgh. The Council are the custodians of our amenities, they do not have it in their gift to dispose of them at will.
The Scottish Government needs to support the council, financially if necessary, to make sure that sports facilities at such iconic and important site as Meadowbank Stadium are not reduced. Otherwise, our sports and health future will be compromise by short-sighted ill-informed decisions.
I look forward to all three requested ministerial responses as well as your own view on this."
Why is this important?
Currently there are 2 planning applications, one is full planning application for the redevelopment of the new downsized stadium whilst the other application is pre planning proposal that involves the selling off off and using the surrounding surplus land to build student accommodation, hotels and 360+ flats. Only a minority being 'affordable housing'. The development will involve the loss of 150+ mature healthy trees including very rare healthy Wheatley Elms, which the Council has spent millions over the years caring for, and green spaces. All of this will have a detrimental effect on local residents and the wider Edinburgh community for numerous reasons e.g. health, community cohesion, environment.
The consultation in 2016 was inadequate and the recent planning application notification list was distributed to approximately 450 homes. While this may be legal, it is inadequate and undermines the Scottish Government policies which push for more community engagement.
Local residents and the wider Edinburgh communities deserve to be made aware that they are losing an international sports centre due to sustained and constant lack of Council’s investment and for the sake of private developers’ profit. The proposed redevelopment will not meet the needs of all the current service users.
