Whitehall Athletics Track - secured for the future

England Athletics recently welcomed positive news from Bristol that will help secure the future of athletics for Bristol & West AC and other local clubs. 

Bristol City Council has committed to funding major lifecycle replacement costs for Whitehall Athletics Track, following unanimous support from the Public Health and Communities Committee. The facility will now form part of the Council’s community asset portfolio, with ongoing funding allocated under the agreement. 

England Athletics welcomes the Council’s commitment to protecting Whitehall Athletics track and the accountability they’ve taken for facility management. The decision marks a significant turnaround for Whitehall Athletics Track and demonstrates the impact of collaboration and England Athletics’ support. 

Supporting a club with 700 members

Whitehall Athletics Track is located at City Academy Bristol, part of the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF) portfolio of schools and colleges. 

CLF has held a long-term lease from Bristol City Council for City Academy Bristol, including responsibility for managing the site’s sports facilities.

Bristol & West AC has 700 members and is based at Whitehall Athletics Track. The club hosts fixtures that benefit athletes across the region and runs training sessions from Monday to Thursday and at weekends, making the facility an important hub for the club and local community. 

The club has had a long-term user agreement for the facility and has also contributed to facility improvements over the years.

In recent years, CLF and Bristol & West AC have been in regular discussions about updating the agreement and developing a more formal partnership. 

However, both parties struggled to find an affordable agreement that would secure the facility’s future. A Trackmark report highlighted the need for major funding, including a track respray by 2028 and a full resurface by 2035. 

The floodlights also required significant investment. With no dedicated budget and high maintenance costs, the future of the facility was a serious concern. 

Finding a solution

We initially provided technical advice, working with CLF to assess lifecycle costs and explore management options for the facility, working closely with Bristol & West AC.

Using a data-led approach, we demonstrated the need for the facility. Given the club’s membership, Bristol’s population and the distance to alternative facilities, it was clear that the city needed a fit-for-purpose athletics track. We regularly attended meetings with CLF and Bristol & West AC, enabling them to understand the challenges of sustaining the facility, highlighting the facility’s local importance and discussed how it could support the Council’s strategic aims around physical activity, health and wellbeing. 

Facilities and Planning Manager, Ed Hunt, and Club Support Manager, Rich Ayling, connected Bristol City Council with Sporting Assets, which was appointed to assess the feasibility of Whitehall Athletics Track and develop a business plan and updated operating model. 

We also worked with Bristol & West AC to help the club enter into a new agreement. This included supporting the club’s ambition to change its legal status and connecting it with specialist advice on governance, health and safety and club management. 

Facilities and Planning Manager, Ed Hunt, said:

"As a national governing body, we played a supporting and enabling role, including bringing in expert consultancy, providing technical and strategic input, coordinating stakeholders, and supporting and endorsing Council investment decisions. This has helped move the Whitehall track project from early discussions through to approved long-term funding and next-step implementation."

Key outcomes

• Bristol City Council used the feasibility study to shape a proposal to commit funding to Whitehall Athletics Track. 

• Facility improvements are now scheduled for Whitehall Athletics Track. Updates to the floodlights will be happening later this summer.  

• Perceptions of Whitehall Athletics Track are beginning to change, with more opportunities for community access being developed. Bristol & West AC and CLF are also taking proactive steps to engage the wider community. 

• An updated user agreement between CLF and Bristol & West AC has been developed, providing greater security for the club’s future. 

• The new financial agreement is affordable for the club, allowing it to focus on operations. 

• At the club’s most recent AGM, members voted in favour of Bristol & West AC incorporating. This gives the club a more appropriate legal status to enter into a formal agreement and better protect the club and its volunteers.   

Rich Ayling, Club Support Manager, said: 

“I’m delighted that Bristol City Council has committed to investing in Whitehall Athletics Track. The facility is vital to the development of athletics in Bristol. This decision will enable Bristol & West AC to continue supporting hundreds of club athletes and hosting licensed events that benefit athletes across the region. I hope the steps Bristol City Council has taken to secure Whitehall can be replicated elsewhere.” 

On the Importance of the agreement, Ben Mapliphant, Bristol & West AC Club Chair, said:

“On strategically reviewing the club ahead of our 150th anniversary in 2032, we found that everything about the future of our club came back to securing our long term home. Friday's decision safeguards our track for the long term, and helps resolve a huge challenge that the club has spent the last decade trying to tackle. It means athletics can continue to grow in Bristol, with a track that has a robust and sustainable business plan in place to secure the facility and keep it properly maintained and open to the community long into the future. We look forward to taking a key position in the steering group for the track going forward”. 

On the support received from England Athletics, Ben added:

“We could not have reached this point without the support of England Athletics. In particular, the input from Rich and Ed was invaluable in helping to support the club through this process and give us practical help and clear advice. Across many in person meetings, Teams calls and emails, their support was vital in getting the club and all the supporting parties to this stage. Our thanks also must go to Bristol City Council, Cabot Learning Federation, Sporting Assets and Muckle LLP”.