Member Article

Newcastle to be Consulted on City Stadium Plans

The Newcastle Athletics Development Association (NADA), which aims to promote healthy living and social inclusion by improving the standard and accessibility of sporting facilities in Newcastle upon Tyne, is holding a consultation event to ask what people think of the proposal to renovate the City Stadium athletics track in Ouseburn. Over 500 people have already responded to an online survey and the group is hoping for big numbers at its consultation events which are being held at the Ouseburn Community Centre at 6pm on the 9th and 10am on the 13th December.

City Stadium is currently home to a dilapidated cinder running track, just outside of the city centre in Ouseburn. NADA’s key focus is the proposal to turn it into a widely used athletics track and field facility for use by schools, mental and physical health organisations, young mums, running clubs, youth clubs and others. The group aims to keep facilities open access and for all to use and is asking what the people of Newcastle think to the proposal.

Will Stanley, Chair of NADA says;

“We’re passionate about opening athletics up to the community and to include people from every corner of the city. We’ve been speaking to people with a wide variety of interests and needs and are hearing a lot of enthusiasm for renovating the City Stadium.

“The Stadium (known to some locals as the Tip) site has endured a chequered history from air-raid shelter to dumping ground. The plan to put a seated stadium for the 1966 Empire Games never came to fruition. We hope what we are doing presents an opportunity to renovate the site, increase usage and open new avenues to the joys and benefits of active lifestyles to Newcastle.”

The organisation has already held tentative talks with key organisations about what may be possible including Newcastle City Council, Sport England and England Athletics and will be engaging with the local community through two key engagement events held at the Ouseburn Community Centre, Mowbray Street, Ouseburn, NE6 5PA on Friday 9th December at 6pm and Tuesday 13th December at 10am.

For more information on NADA, to see what the site could look like and to have your say, visit http://newcastle-athletics.org

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Charlie Guthrie .