In April 2005 Edinburgh Council announced plans to improve municipal sports pitches across the capital in an ambitious £12.3M facelift plan. Works to be carried out over the next five years, include building six major sporting venues, each with at least seven top-class pitches and several existing sites benefiting from a dozen smaller facilities for a variety of sports. Refurbishment works will include improvements in drainage and grass quality with proper changing rooms being built, bringing all pitches up to standard within the next three years.

Sports groups such as sportscotland and the Scottish Football Association helped the Council draw up the plans.

The city’s sport and leisure leader, Ricky Henderson said the move would give Edinburgh the “best network of sports pitches in Scotland”. “We have also been working to address concerns in the wider community regarding the quality and maintenance of sports pitches across the city and currently have almost £4M worth of pitch improvements and new building projects under way.

“With our new pitch strategy, we now have a detailed action plan which will enable us to deliver the best network of sports pitches and ancillary facilities in Scotland within five years. “We can then use these facilities to attract more people, especially young people, to participate in sport.”

The six major venues are being built at the Jack Kane Centre in Craigmillar, Gyle Park, Saughton Park, Meggetland playing fields in Craiglockhart, Inverleith Park and Craigroyston High. Each venue will boast a dedicated pitch which will only be used for finals of sporting competitions, three other supporting pitches, two seven-a-side pitches, a floodlit synthetic pitch, changing rooms and a clubhouse.

Works commenced on the Meggetland site in October 2004. New stateof- the-art sports facilities include new changing facilities, stands and equipment store, together with a new clubhouse and terracing for Boroughmuir Rugby Club.

The playing fields are being upgraded - the First XV rugby pitch and two new rugby pitches; an all weather playing surface for hockey and tennis use is being provided; two football pitches; four soccer seven pitches; cricket pitch; long jump and high jump. Floodlighting will benefit the First XV pitch, hockey pitch and one football pitch - all to TV standards. The Rugby Clubhouse comprises some 1,381sq m over three-storeys.

This steel-framed building has precast upper floors and terrace units, and is finished with block cavity walls and a Kingspan composite cladding system. Internally, a gym and training room together with cricket net area/short sprint training area are located on the basement level. These facilities are complemented with a physiotherapy and treatment room, as well as changing rooms and toilets. The ground floor features terraced accommodation for standing spectators, a lounge/bar, kitchen/servery and associated stores, offices, shop and toilets. The first floor features a subdivisible hospitality area with bar areas, store and toilets. A 12- person passenger lift serves all floors.

The Changing Room facilities cover some 1,610sq m over two-storeys. The building features insitu concrete floor slabs, steel frame/loadbearing masonry structure over two floors with precast terrace units. Feature curved truss elements feature over the main roof, while a link bridge provides level access to the Changing Facilities. Curtain walling features to both the east and west elevations of the building, affording views from the function room over the first XV and all weather pitch, and roof lights feature above the main entrance corridor to the Changing Facilities.

The ground floor of the building features a reception, office, changing rooms and first aid facility, while the first floor provides seated accommodation for 470 spectators on the first XV pitch side and 458 spectators on the All Weather pitch side; together with function suite with kitchen/servery and toilets.

Applecross own 12 per cent of the land and are building a variety of apartment types, together with fellow housebuilder George Wimpey, which are expected to be attractive to downsizers as well as professionals and young families/couples.

Some 175 flats are being built on the land which was sold to Applecross due to its unsuitability for use as recreational land. Waterside Green, the Applecross development will comprise 78 one-, twoand three-bedroom apartments. Each will have private parking for at least one car located in the courtyard, garage or underground parking. These high quality waterfront apartments will boast fantastic views of the Union Canal, Colinton and Corstorphine Hill.

Brian McAllister, Partner, Yeoman McAllister Architects said: “The architectural style is contemporary and reflects the waterfront setting. There is quality in design and this will reflect the lifestyle of prospective inhabitants and the wider community. The development is an opportunity to enhance the urban quality of the area.

“The layout encourages walking and cycling, vistas are created and views rearranged. Significant attention was given to the design of the spaces between the buildings, harmonising the impact of the residences and their inhabitants on the canal and its users. Reinforcing pedestrian priority with safe routes, incidental seating and other elements will strengthen the local identity and a sense of place.”

Among other improvements which the developers are funding are upgrades to walkways along the Union Canal, a new footpath to nearby Slateford Railway Station and new car and coach parking for spectators and players.

Work is due to complete in February 2006 on the pitches, with the housing element towards autumn of this year. Barr Limited have acted as Main Contractor for the buildings with Malcolm Construction Services providing Main Contractor Infrastructure Services. Yeoman McAllister Architects provided designs for the entire project.