Green light for new rugby venue next to BT Murrayfield

Scottish Rugby’s plans to build a new 7,800-capacity playing venue in the grounds of BT Murrayfield in Edinburgh have been given planning approval.Councillors have backed plans which will see four 8.6 metres high covered spectator stands erected around a new artificial pitch on a section of land currently used as training pitches.The existing six 18m high floodlights at the back pitches will be replaced with four 25m high floodlights. Food stalls will be placed around the stadium on match days while portakabin toilet blocks will be located on either side of the east and west stands and one block beside the east stand will be accessible.Intended to be the new home of Edinburgh Rugby, it is hoped the facility would be ready for the 2019-20 rugby season.Scottish Rugby said it has designed the project using flexible infrastructure and is open to making the space available to other users from the wider rugby community in Scotland, and the possibility of other sports as well.