Community group bids to take over athletics track

Representatives from a group of Sheffield running clubs are bidding to take control of the City of Sheffield Athletics Stadium in Attercliffe.

The track, on Woodbourn Road, has been closed since 6 April after it failed to meet the required standard for shock absorption, according to operators Sheffield Hallam University.

However, the group of clubs proposed to Sheffield Council, the landlord of the site, that they could form a community interest company and take on the lease of the facility from the university.

Sheffield City Council confirmed that a proposal had been raised from members of the athletics community but said more detail would be needed to assess the viability of any plan.

Tom Grantham from the group said: "We have an unbelievable number of skills within the running community that are proactive people wanting to help."

"There's people like myself and other individuals that have worked at Don Valley Stadium and dealt with athletics at the highest level through coaching as well as solicitors, accountants and those in the building trade," the veteran athlete who overseas schools athletics in the city said.

"We have seen no ambition or motivation from Hallam or the council to improve things over the last few years.

"We have people who want to help. Let us help."

Peter Boden, 37, is the men's captain at Hillsborough and Rivelin Running Club who previously trained at a track at Chaucer School and until the recent closure at Woodbourn Road.

"I wholeheartedly agree with the proposal. Hallam don't have the money to maintain it. We need to move forward. Other stadiums are community-funded, and this could be too."

He said there was a "pool of talent and knowledge" in the city and plenty of "enthusiasm".

In a statement on their website Sheffield Hallam University said it apologised for the inconvenience caused by the closure.

"Because the safety of all users remains our highest priority, we have taken the precautionary decision to keep the track temporarily closed."

The new community group includes representatives from City of Sheffield and Dearn Athletics Club, Hallamshire Harriers and Sheffield Striders among others.

They submitted the proposal, which has been seen by the BBC, to Sheffield Council on Monday 27 April and said they were awaiting a response.

One of the key aims of the group is to seek commercial funding to relay the track.

Both Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield Council have previously confirmed that they cannot afford to pay for the refurbishments.

Grantham said: "The facility can't exist as just the running track. It needs some commercial input. A supermarket, padel, a gym area to bring in more revenue and make it more accessible for people."

The group also propose that Sheffield Hallam University would continue to provide staff and running costs for the facility for two years.

Whilst the facility remains closed, athletes have been forced to seek alternative training facilities.

Some have travelled to Rotherham to train at the Herringthorpe Stadium with others training at the 200m indoor track at the English Institute of Sport (EIS).

The EIS, run by leisure provider Everyone Active, was accredited as a UK Sport Elite Training Centre this week, recognising its role in supporting Olympic and Paralympic athletes to achieve success on the world stage.

John Eggington is a committee member at Sheffield Striders running group and said they had used Woodbourn Road for two sessions every Thursday evening.

But the closure has meant they have had to revert to using the road outside the Olympic Legacy Park which was "not ideal".

"Whatever the shock absorption issue, the concrete is definitely harder," he said.

"The track was a safe space to train. We have lots of female runners who felt safe on the track because it's enclosed. On the road we are dodging kids on bikes and get shouted at by drivers."

Eggington said finding the "right people" with the "right experience" within the running community would be key to the success of the new group.

Sheffield City Council said of the proposal that it was at a "very early stage, with more detail required to assess whether this could represent a viable option".

"The council is open to considering any proposals that provide a credible solution to enable the ongoing operation of the facility and support the investment required in the track," a spokesperson said.

They said the authority was continuing to work with colleagues at Sheffield Hallam University to "explore and develop potential proposals".

Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North