A local MSP has called on North Lanarkshire Leisure to stop short changing the local athletics community.
Conservative Graham Simpson recently met with track and field coaches from across Lanarkshire to hear their concerns that athletics is being squeezed out of the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell.
Since opening in 2010, the local track and field clubs have seen their purpose built 100m indoor facilities - one of only two in Scotland – being slowly taken over to a host of other sports including gymnastics and weightlifting.
The coaches told the MSP that if the proposal goes ahead it would see the six-lane track being reduced to just three lanes and only 50m of the track to train on.
If that happens they explained that it would “not be fit for purpose” for either beginners, or elite athletes like Commonwealth heptathlete Holly McArthur - a regular user of the facility as she prepares for the Gold Coast Games in Australia in just a few months’ time.
Mr Simpson said: “I was concerned to hear what is being proposed at Ravenscraig in regards to the indoor running track.
“I was contacted by the coaches and parents who fear that the track area for training is being reduced further to just 50m and just three lanes and they also believe that they will also lose their long-jump and high-jump training area as well.
“It appears NL Leisure is looking to hand over more of the track to a host of other sports without even consulting the athletic clubs that use the facility regularly.
“What needs to be taken is a more balanced approach to finding a solution for all those concerned. If the gymnastic club is growing as indicated, then NL Leisure should be looking at alternative sites within Ravenscraig to host the gymnastic club.
“What we can’t do is reduce the space available for athletics purely based on footfall. It is not only disappointing but it is dangerous as it will cram athletes into an even smaller space whilst training.
“When it opened Ravenscraig could proudly boast that it had one of the only two indoor 100m tracks in Scotland with the aim of providing the necessary provision to develop future successful sporting generations, supporting the pathways from participation to excellence.
Sadly, that is not the case as it the track is now covered in tennis courts and gymnastic equipment. It is to their credit that the coaches and athletes strive to do their part to develop future sporting generations even if NL Leisure is doing its best to hinder their progression.
“Whitemoss AAC has seen Holly McArthur, who is a regular user of this fantastic facility, selected to represent Scotland at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
“The coaches fear if the move to reduce track goes ahead it could prove a real problem, not only for the club coaches training the youngsters just starting out in the sport, but those coaching elite level athletes like Holly.
“I want NL Leisure’s General Manager Emma Walker to explain this ridiculous proposal. I’m sure that we will hear about the numbers of people using the track in relation to those taking part in gymnastics and other sports that are based all-year round at Ravenscraig.
“What has to be taken into consideration is that the athletics season splits into two, with a winter indoor and a summer outdoor season where they compete on a 400m track. They should not find themselves victimised because of this.
“Ravenscraig is a world-class sports centre and rightly boasts on their website that their sports hall, gym, indoor athletics and pitch facilities are world-renowned and that hundreds of athletes trained here before competing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“I wonder what these top athletes who praised the facility back in 2014 would think of NL Leisure's plans to all but wipe out athletics at Ravenscraig.”