Belfield Running Track Closure

electrictrad

In case anyone didn't get the email. . .

Dear UCD Student,
The UCD running track has reached the end of its operational life and unfortunately has had to be closed due to health and safety concerns. Our advisors have reported that as the surface is badly worn and becomes slippy when wet, it should be closed to all users. Works to redress this situation have already commenced and we hope to be able to provide an alternative facility on campus in the future, subject to funding becoming available.
Brian Mullins, Director of Sport is working to provide access to an alternative facility. If you have any queries on this matter please contact Brian Mullins (brian.mullins@ucd.ie).
I regret any inconvenience this may cause.
Regards,
Martin Butler


. . .By all accounts, "Health and Safety Issues" are being used as an excuse to shut the track permanently. . .they want to turn the track into a carpark . . .

Belfield Track was Irelands first ever tartan track. . it has an incredible history - an Irish team broke the World 4xMile Relay record there in 1985. . .it is literally an irreplacable part of Irelands sporting history. . .

stop

electrictrad wrote: »

. . .By all accounts, "Health and Safety Issues" are being used as an excuse to shut the track permanently. . .they want to turn the track into a carpark . . .

This is not true.

UCD is unable to have any net increase in car parking spaces due to NTA/DLRCOCO restrictions. Stop feeding the rumour mill.

Long term the plan has always been to remove the existing track as part of Gateway/whatever they call it these days. The new track will be located between Richview & Newstead resulting in the removal of the giant gravel car park in that area.

parker kent

The track was like an ice rink on a wet day, so I can see why it was closed. It has long since left it's best days behind.

Hopefully something opens near the new sport centre. The Richview/Newstead idea would be just the job.

Timmaay

parker kent wrote: »

The track was like an ice rink on a wet day, so I can see why it was closed. It has long since left it's best days behind.

Hopefully something opens near the new sport centre. The Richview/Newstead idea would be just the job.

I have a thread about it over in athletics also http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056457623

UCD athletics were down doing a session on it last Thursday, it was fairly wet then, but to call it like an ice rink is stupid, we got around without a problem, some of the lads had proper track spikes on, I just had my normal runners on and didn't once slip in the 10 or so laps we did. You have obviously never been on either if you think its that bad!!

It would be nice to get a new track over at Richview/Newstead, but that was just a dreamed up idea in the Gateway project, which has been long since scrapped due to lack of funding. There is a digger down on the track ripping it up now, less then 24hours notice to UCD athletics of the track closing, which is a disgrace from UCD!

stop

Timmaay wrote: »

There is a digger down on the track ripping it up now, less then 24hours notice to UCD athletics of the track closing, which is a disgrace from UCD!

Why does it matter how soon after they close it that they start digging it up? Agree with it or not, they have decided its no longer fit for purpose. They probably have no choice but to dig it up to stop people from still using it who believe it is still safe.

It sucks that the track is gone, but in this elf & safety world UCD can't risk having people use a track that presumably someone in safety land has deemed unsafe.

Digging up the track may actually a good thing as it puts this one beyond use and reaffirms the need for a new one. UCD sells itself on its facilities to overseas students and is also after some of the 2012 business so I doubt the place will be trackless for very long.

parker kent

Timmaay wrote: »

UCD athletics were down doing a session on it last Thursday, it was fairly wet then, but to call it like an ice rink is stupid, we got around without a problem, some of the lads had proper track spikes on, I just had my normal runners on and didn't once slip in the 10 or so laps we did. You have obviously never been on either if you think its that bad!!

I run on it most mornings. It is a lot slippier than other running tracks and depending on the time of day it can get particularly slippy. It is dilapidated too, I can see why it is being closed. For all we know there could have been a few incidents on the track that have sped up the closure. I'm not saying people were falling left, right or centre or that I myself have fallen. I'm just saying I can see why somebody in health and safety might consider it a risk.

Calling it an ice-rink is just of a way of saying it can be slippy. I'm not saying it is literally like an ice-rink with bodies falling all over the place.

Timmaay

stop wrote: »

Digging up the track may actually a good thing as it puts this one beyond use and reaffirms the need for a new one. UCD sells itself on its facilities to overseas students and is also after some of the 2012 business so I doubt the place will be trackless for very long.

Believe me, many many members of UCD athletics through the years have pushed for a new track to be built, time and time again we have been total that the money is not there simple as is not there. Athletics tracks unfortunately are not cheap, and just to resurface the existing track would have cost about 140,000euros, with a new track on a greenfeild site coming in at least 400,000e. Its something that I'm not holding my breath for! I'm still utterly shocked at the manner that we were treated by UCD authorities, less then 24hours notice from telling us we are out to digging up the track!

Timmaay

parker kent wrote: »

I run on it most mornings. It is a lot slippier than other running tracks and depending on the time of day it can get particularly slippy. It is dilapidated too, I can see why it is being closed. For all we know there could have been a few incidents on the track that have sped up the closure. I'm not saying people were falling left, right or centre or that I myself have fallen. I'm just saying I can see why somebody in health and safety might consider it a risk.

Calling it an ice-rink is just of a way of saying it can be slippy. I'm not saying it is literally like an ice-rink with bodies falling all over the place.

Ok sorry I'm fairly annoyed at the minute, I should not have directed that last post at you! But surely to god a few warning signs that the track might be slippy sometimes during heavy rain etc would have kept the insurance crowd happy? There definitely has to be more to this then just Health and Safety!

electrictrad

24 hours later. . .

rainbow kirby

electrictrad wrote: »

24 hours later. . .

I thought my days of getting pissed off over UCD admin decisions were over once I left the place. Clearly I was wrong. That's an incredibly sad sight.

parker kent

Timmaay wrote: »

Ok sorry I'm fairly annoyed at the minute, I should not have directed that last post at you! But surely to god a few warning signs that the track might be slippy sometimes during heavy rain etc would have kept the insurance crowd happy? There definitely has to be more to this then just Health and Safety!

Well I'm sure they have their reasons. They wouldn't just do it for the Lolz, as much as people here may think UCD staff are all evil. I'd say that money is probably a strong reason why they would act so swiftly. It is a shame and I really hope something is arranged quickly. The one positive is that the woodland walks make for a good run in the mornings too.

badtinegirl

I guess its only slippery when it gets wet. Someone said they had gates
across it years ago to stop people running on it. Why did they
not put the gates back and use them in the wet and open them
when its dry?

To late now. Lets get a new one with some of our 90 million euro.

rainbow kirby

parker kent wrote: »

The one positive is that the woodland walks make for a good run in the mornings too.

Not so good for speed sessions though, which is the main purpose of the track...

parker kent

rainbow kirby wrote: »

Not so good for speed sessions though, which is the main purpose of the track...

Oh yeah I agree the track cannot be replicated. I didn't really say otherwise, was just noting that I'll be using the woodland walks. Distance is my thing at the moment, so it's not a massive deal for me personally.

fikay

I've just had a look at the DLR CC website. The planning permission for the new track was granted in April 2009 and is valid for 3 years as far as I can make out (I have no training in this area so if this is incorrect feel free to correct me). Theoretically you would expect some development on that front soon....
Theoretically!

http://planning.dlrcoco.ie/swiftlg/apas/run/WPHAPPDETAIL.DisplayUrl?theApnID=D08A/0465&theTabNo=3&backURL=%3Ca%20href=wphappcriteria.display?paSearchKey=886415%3ESearch%20Criteria%3C/a%3E%20%3E%20%3Ca%20href=%27wphappsearchres.displayResultsURL?ResultID=945087%26StartIndex=1%26SortOrder=rgndat:desc%26DispResultsAs=WPHAPPSEARCHRES%26BackURL=%3Ca%20href=wphappcriteria.display?paSearchKey=886415%3ESearch%20Criteria%3C/a%3E%27%3ESearch%20Results%3C/a%3E

RandolphEsq

electrictrad wrote: »

24 hours later. . .

What a puny digger! It will take it forever to dig up the track.

electrictrad

If anyone want to support the push for a new track, the campaign is kicking off right about now. . .any support, no matter how small, will be appreciated. . .
Petitions will be available to sign tomorrow across campus calling for a new track. . .Outside theatre L in the Newman from 10.30am to 4pm will be centre of operations, but keep an eye out for the petitions all over the place. . .

On Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/UCD-SAVE-OUR-TRACK/253464394710434?sk=wall

On Twitter:

via #saveourtrack

This isn't just for the athletes, this is for joggers, walkers, and other sportspeople. . . they probably won't listen, but it won't be from lack of shouting. . .thank you. . .

RandolphEsq

electrictrad wrote: »

If anyone want to support the push for a new track, the campaign is kicking off right about now. . .any support, no matter how small, will be appreciated. . .
Petitions will be available to sign tomorrow across campus calling for a new track. . .Outside theatre L in the Newman from 10.30am to 4pm will be centre of operations, but keep an eye out for the petitions all over the place. . .

On Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/UCD-SAVE-OUR-TRACK/253464394710434?sk=wall

On Twitter:

via #saveourtrack

This isn't just for the athletes, this is for joggers, walkers, and other sportspeople. . . they probably won't listen, but it won't be from lack of shouting. . .thank you. . .

stop wrote: »

This is not true.

UCD is unable to have any net increase in car parking spaces due to NTA/DLRCOCO restrictions. Stop feeding the rumour mill.

Long term the plan has always been to remove the existing track as part of Gateway/whatever they call it these days. The new track will be located between Richview & Newstead resulting in the removal of the giant gravel car park in that area.

If that's true then there is no need for that petition.

badtinegirl

If the new lake goes in beside Eng that car park will be gone.
Where could we put a new car park off the stillorgan road and
not increase our net spaces. Any ideas anyone?

myflipflops

RandolphEsq wrote: »

If that's true then there is no need for that petition.

The plan that is down on paper is to put a new (6 lane) track over by the Clonskeagh side but it will not happen for a long time, if ever.

The Gateway plan was to provide another track before removing the current one. Obviously, this undertaking has now been reneged on. It is pretty easy to predict that money will be used as a reason not to built another track in the medium term future.

The health and safety issue is certainly a poor excuse. It would take very little to clean the surface and make it less slippy. Also, if you and doing a session on the track that would risk slipping, you should be in spikes anyway.

What is amazing is that clubs have offered to put up the funds to refurbish the track that has just been destroyed. DSD AC have put forward a number of offers to cover the cost of re-surfacing and maintaing the track but UCD admin and <snip> Brian Mullins had no interest.

parker kent

myflipflops wrote: »

DSD AC have put forward a number of offers to cover the cost of re-surfacing and maintaing the track but UCD admin and <snip> Brian Mullins had no interest.

In fairness, we are not party to why they made the decision. Like I said earlier, I doubt they just did it for the laugh.

errlloyd

To be fair we could probably pay for many more tracks with fees.

smunchkins

I'm sort of double posting here I'm afraid, as there is another thread going over in athletics about the track, but more UCD people might see this one and I reckoned they might be interested to examine the proposals themselves for the development that is planned quite close to the old track.

The application for planning permission for the lake went in on the 14th.

http://planning.dlrcoco.ie/swiftlg/apas/run/wphappcriteria.display

Ref No: D11A/0520
You can see the map of the plans under the "documents" section.

OneOfThem Stumbled

smunchkins wrote: »

I'm sort of double posting here I'm afraid, as there is another thread going over in athletics about the track, but more UCD people might see this one and I reckoned they might be interested to examine the proposals themselves for the development that is planned quite close to the old track.

The application for planning permission for the lake went in on the 14th.

http://planning.dlrcoco.ie/swiftlg/apas/run/wphappcriteria.display

Ref No: D11A/0520
You can see the map of the plans under the "documents" section.

Here's the map and plan

An expensive net loss of green space (and parking - both for cars and bikes). And, unless they plan on having a bridge over the proposed lake, it will mean a longer walk for engineering students in general.

A strange project to plan when you are in debt.

Edit: in relation to the running track - it would be eminently more sensible to resurface the current track than build a new one (for both aesthetic and economic reasons). Perhaps the professional clubs being granted space near Newstead is influencing decisions on where the running track should be located?

Duke Fame

That lake will be the only part of the Gateway project to be built, from reading the plans it will also act as a rain-ground water overflow for the new law school.

That whole gateway project was a huge waste of money. The prize fund for the Architectural competition was 1.3 Million euro alone. God knows what the legal fees etc where.

http://www.archileb.com/article.php?id=168

The closing date for the receipt of submissions of interest is Wednesday, 6th December 2006. From that initial list ten firms will be interviewed from which a shortlist of three to five will be chosen. The three to five short listed firms will receive €200,000 each for completion of their design submission. Following a review of the three short listed firms the winning architect will be announced in or around April 2007 and awarded a further prize of €300,000.

http://www.ucd.ie/gatewayproject/index.htm

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ucd-planning-euro450m-facelift-to-create-community-campus-1043545.html?start=3

The track was to move to Richview as a result of the project.

RandolphEsq

Duke Fame wrote: »

That lake will be the only part of the Gateway project to be built, from reading the plans it will also act as a rain-ground water overflow for the new law school.

That whole gateway project was a huge waste of money. The prize fund for the Architectural competition was 1.3 Million euro alone. God knows what the legal fees etc where.

http://www.archileb.com/article.php?id=168

The closing date for the receipt of submissions of interest is Wednesday, 6th December 2006. From that initial list ten firms will be interviewed from which a shortlist of three to five will be chosen. The three to five short listed firms will receive €200,000 each for completion of their design submission. Following a review of the three short listed firms the winning architect will be announced in or around April 2007 and awarded a further prize of €300,000.

http://www.ucd.ie/gatewayproject/index.htm

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ucd-planning-euro450m-facelift-to-create-community-campus-1043545.html?start=3

The track was to move to Richview as a result of the project.

Any authority names to associate with this farce?

Timmaay

I'm sure Hugh Brady had some influence ha!

fullstop

stop wrote: »

This is not true.

UCD is unable to have any net increase in car parking spaces due to NTA/DLRCOCO restrictions. Stop feeding the rumour mill.

They're not allowed to have any more permanent car parks in UCD, but I'd fully expect them to use it as another 'temporary' car park like with the two behind the church among others.

Tayto2000

Key word is "net". If the pay and display between Eng and the restaurant is going to become a lake, other space can be converted without an increase.

Limit to parking spaces applies to anything, temporary or permanent. The NTA are already unhappy with the number of spaces UCD provides though,maybe it'll stay as a green space...

badtinegirl

Why not forget the lake at Eng altogether Im sure they can deal with the rain water etc in another way (most buildings dont come with a lake) and with the existing funds build a new track?

electrictrad

Sorry for the double-post, but there are a couple of threads going on this. . .

College Tribune article on the track http://www.collegetribune.ie/index.p...back-on-track/ . . .also a public meeting tonight at 7pm in Theatre P in the Arts block(Newman Building) for anyone whose interested in the track crisis, organised by UCD AC and UCD LawSoc http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=296669633689768