News / athletics
Two athletics tracks would be ‘financially unsustainable’
Two athletics tracks within Bristol’s boundaries would be “financially unsustainable” according to a council boss despite a campaign to save one.
This is because two running tracks would be “competing for the same users” and the costs of maintenance could be prohibitively high.
Bristol City Council is planning a major refurbishment of the Whitehall Athletics Track, which is the city’s only accredited 400 metre running track.
At the same time, campaigners are trying to save the doomed Whitchurch Athletics Track from an imminent plan to build housing there.
However, questions were raised about whether Bristol needs two running tracks within the area managed by the city council. While the popularity of the sport is growing quickly, an athletics track is “not needed” to get into running.
The total cost of respraying the track surface in 2028, and then a full surface replacement by 2040 is expected to be £573,000, some of which the Cabot Learning Federation might pay.
These costs were approved by the public health and communities policy committee on Friday.
Guy Fishbourne, the council’s sport and physical activity development manager, said: “Athletics, at best, is a sport which has one of these types of facilities per local authority area.
“So you generally wouldn’t get more than one of these, because they would likely be financially unsustainable. You’re all competing for the same users and volunteer base who support clubs.
“Athletics for a lot of people starts in schools and local communities, whether that’s Parkrun or measured running routes. You don’t need this type of infrastructure to get into athletics. But if you do want to progress, we need to try to create the pathway and opportunity to support people to access these more strategic facilities.”
The Whitehall track was built in 2010 and is mainly used by the Bristol and West Athletics Club. It replaced the Whitchurch track which formally closed then, although runners still train there informally.
One of the reasons the replacement track was built in Whitehall was to be more central. Two other tracks are just outside Bristol, in Stoke Gifford and Yate.
In March earlier this year teenage athletes urged leading councillors to reconsider the housing plan for the Whitchurch track, where the council-owned developer Goram Homes will soon build homes.
They said getting to Whitehall was “not safe or practical” at night, with journeys taking over an hour from some parts of South Bristol via public transport.
Athletics tracks are important for running for many reasons, such as the safety and encouragement of running with a club in a well-lit environment, the specialised surface protecting joints, and the lack of obstacles compared to running on the pavement.
A new “active track” could soon be created near the Whitchurch track, although it’s unclear to what standard.
Mr Fishbourne added: “There’s opportunities to grow participation there, which we’re working proactively with the school and club to do.
“Without the commitment to invest in lifecycle work — like the full track respray in 2028 which is the first significant piece of maintenance that needs to be done — the track will lose its TrackMark accreditation, and clubs won’t be insured to run on it.”
Main image: Betty Woolerton
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