Facilities Strategy maps out priorities for next four years

Thursday 29th December 2022

The indoor facility at Linwood (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Facilities Strategy December 2022

Following the publication of scottishathletics first National Facilities Strategy in 2015, we are pleased to deliver our new Facilities Strategy.

The document and all the comprehensive work and data therein sets out the priorities in Scotland for the next four years at a national, regional and local level.

It is essential that the sport continually reviews the facility infrastructure for athletics and running across Scotland and that scottishathletics, as the National Governing Body, provide leadership in this area.

Since the publication of the first Facilities Strategy, significant progress has been made in delivering the priority projects identified, and it is important to acknowledge and thank all the national and local partners in making plans happen – such as Dundee, Meadowbank, Huntershill (Bishopbriggs), Linwood (indoor) and Ayr.

This new Facilities Strategy has utilised previously not available insight and innovation, within athletics and running facility design, to set out new facility priorities for the next four years.

Colin Hutchison (photo by Bobby Gavin)

We set out flexible options for partners considering the development of new athletics and running facilities and identifies important additional considerations for developers.

Ultimately, this strategy aims to ensure that investment into the development of athletics and running facilities in Scotland over the next four years is directed in the most appropriate way, developing new places to participate and compete, protecting the facilities infrastructure already in place across Scotland, and providing training and competition environments in Scotland that support athletes to achieve their ambitions.

‘We are delighted to launch this new Facilities Strategy for athletics in Scotland and thank the national and local partners for their support it its development,’ said Colin Hutchison.

‘Our focus will now be on the implementation of the strategy and working with these partners to explore innovative approaches to investment within existing and potentially new facilities.

‘It is extremely important that open, safe, accessible and welcoming facilities are available across Scotland to support people to access athletics and running.

‘This new strategy sets out national, regional and local priorities and also explores innovation around athletics and running facilities.

Aberdeen Sports Village is an excellent venue – and (below, hurdles photo) Dundee Regional Performance Centre staged events this year while Emirates Arena hosts our Indoor Season (photos by Bobby Gavin)

‘These innovative approaches to expanding our facilities infrastructure are crucial to widening access, attracting new investment and ensuring there is a joined-up approach to facility protection and development.‘Our immediate priority remains protecting the athletics facility infrastructure in place across Scotland.

‘Community Asset Transfer presents opportunities for the sport but also offers a significant threat to access, investment and protection of key training and competition venues across Scotland.

‘Please note that as the national governing body we do not have funds for capital projects (building track and field facilities) and can only seek and hope to influence investment decisions in partnership and with support from Government (national and local authority) and sportscotland.

‘We recognise the wider financial pressures facing operators and urge these operators to work closely with scottishathletics, sportscotland and Scottish Government to ensure investment is made in these key facilities nationally.’