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Scotsman
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Edinburgh: Council agrees funding for start of Tour de France after grilling top official
Funding for the Tour de France has been approved by Edinburgh councillors, after a senior council officer faced a grilling. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... It was announced earlier this year that Edinburgh would host the Grand Depart, the start of the famous cycle race in 2027. In response to questioning in a council committee, the city's chief executive Paul Lawrence, said not seeking approval from councillors to set aside £1.7m for the race had been 'inappropriate and should not have happened.' Edinburgh will host the 2027 Tour de France Grand Depart | Pauline Ballet/ Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Last Wednesday, city councillors got a memo saying that the leaders of the city's political groups had agreed in October to set aside the funds for the race. But at last Thursday's full council meeting, several group leaders said no such decision was made, and that the October meeting was limited to providing them information. At the time, SNP group leader Simita Kumar said: 'Group leaders were happy for officers to explore this with a decision to rightfully take place in an executive committee. 'There was no agreement from group leaders to authorise any funding – we simply do not have the power to do so within this forum. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The governance of this decision has been wholly absent especially when there has been adequate time to bring this decision to committee.' At the finance and resources committee meeting on Tuesday, Conservative councillor Phil Doggart asked council officers who made the decision on allocating funds for the Tour de France. Gareth Barwell, the city's Executive Director of Place, said that no binding agreement on the council's part in the Tour de France had been signed yet, but that it needed to happen by 30 June. Cllr Doggart continued: 'I will try that again, and with another extra clause at the end of it. Why was that not brought to councillors, particularly this committee?' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Lawrence said: 'I think the report makes plain that it's the view of senior officers, certainly my view, that that was a mistake, and that that should have happened in that process.' Cllr Doggart asked a third time, adding, 'I still don't think I've got an answer to my not very difficult question. Who made the decision?' Mr Lawrence said: 'Myself and other officers, but myself primarily, were approached around the Tour de France. 'We consulted with group leaders because of timing, of trying to say, 'Are we into this?' But we were absolutely clear that consulting with group leaders was not a decision of the council. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But given that we had a positive steer, I felt we were able to proceed with the ongoing discussions. But when a decision needed to be made, we needed the resources put aside, hence the process that we went through. 'I now regret, and feel we should have either come to Culture and Communities [Committee] before that or this committee. 'But the decision, signing on the dotted line for anything, no officer has made such a decision because we haven't set the resources aside to do so.' The 2027 edition of the Tour will be the first time that both the men's and women's races have started in the same country besides France. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It will also be the first time the race has visited Edinburgh, and the fifth time it has had any of its route inside the UK. At Thursday's meeting, SNP councillor Kate Campbell questioned the spend altogether. She said: 'There is very little explanation really of why we're making those allocations. We've had no reports to councillors, no noted to committee, about the value we're getting. We really don't know what the benefit to the city is.' Committee convener and Labour councillor Mandy Watt said: 'It is a shame that there's been procedural issues about this, because it's actually really exciting that this event is coming to Edinburgh. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'There's a lot of interest in it. It would be nice if the women's [race] was starting from here as well, but I think that's either yet to be decided or not going to be happening. 'But still, it's something to get really excited about. Hopefully, officers could be reminded – it's not just councillors being awkward, the process is there to protect the officers themselves when they take decisions. 'If the process had all worked as if we would have hoped, we would have all been really excited about it.' Council officers will provide regular updates to councillors on the progress of the funding, and what it is being used for, going forward.
Scotsman
18-06-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Hosting the Tour de France 2027 could cost Edinburgh £1.7 million
Up to £1.7 million should be drawn from the city's financial reserves and put towards the 2027 Tour de France, according to plans set to go before Edinburgh councillors for sign-off on Thursday. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Both the men's and women's races are set to begin in the UK in 2027, with the men's race beginning in Edinburgh. A report on unaudited council accounts for the past financial year contains an ask for up to £1.7m to be spent on the race from council reserves, with plans to backfill the spend with money from the city's upcoming Visitor Levy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Edinburgh will host the 2027 Tour de France Grand Depart | Pauline Ballet/ The report does not specify what the money will be used for, but it says the council has been in 'confidential discussions' with the Scottish Government and VisitScotland about hosting the event. The SNP group has tabled an amendment to the unaudited accounts, which if approved by councillors would see the spending request denied. The 2027 running of the Tour de France will be the first time both the men's and the women's race start in the same country, where that country is not France. Edinburgh has never hosted any part of the race before, but it has come to the UK four times: in 1974, 1994, 2007 and 2014.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Currie for England? The trait that could give Warrington Wolves man the edge
Ben Currie will hope to add to his 10 England caps when Australia arrive this autumn for the Ashes series (Image: Ed Sykes/ BEN Currie's versatility has been increasingly valuable to Warrington Wolves this season – and Sam Burgess has backed him to provide a similar service to his country. And with every England-qualified player vying for national team boss Shaun Wane's attention with a historic Ashes series against Australia on the horizon, he feels Currie's adaptability could work in his favour. Advertisement Currie has been a player transformed under Burgess since he moved to loose forward from the back row but this year, he has been pressed into service in several different positions. At times, he has moved back into the second row and into the centres to cover for injuries, and even did a short stint on the wing during the Challenge Cup win over Widnes Vikings in March. With George Williams and Marc Sneyd spending time out injured, he has also been required to jump into the halves on several occasions and has captained the team in skipper Williams' absence. Wane has shown a liking for Currie and has picked him in squads for the last two season-ending series against Samoa and Tonga – although he did not get onto the field in the former – as well as mid-season Tests against France. Advertisement Ben Currie's last England appearance came against France midway through last year (Image: Alex Whitehead/ And it appears he has no bigger advocate than a man who was an England legend in his playing days in Burgess. 'I think he'd be a great addition to the England squad. He'd be so valuable' he said as Currie bids to add to the 10 caps he has won for his country to date. 'He's an asset because this year for us, he's played centre, wing, his preferred position at 13, back row where he's probably spent most of his career, and at six. 'A bloke who's 105 kilos who can play in all of those positions and is such a quality bloke as well is really valuable. 'I'd be a huge supporter of him being in the England squad for sure. That versatility stands players out and gives them an advantage.'
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The players Warrington Wolves have chosen for return to Super League action
Warrington Wolves return to Super League action with a trip to Leeds Rhinos on Saturday (Image: Allan McKenzie/ WARRINGTON Wolves' 21-man squad for their return to Super League action has been revealed. Head coach Sam Burgess' selection for Saturday's Round 14 trip to Leeds Rhinos shows just one change from the players he chose from for the Challenge Cup Final against Hull KR. Advertisement As the Wire boss reported at his pre-match press conference yesterday, full-back Matt Dufty is his only fresh injury concern - the Australian fractured his eye socket at Wembley and will miss at least the next two games as he awaits surgery. His place in the 21 is taken by forward Tom Whitehead, with Stefan Ratchford set to take Dufty's place at full-back in a starting side that looks set to be similar to the one that was agonisingly beaten in the cup final. Warrington Wolves 21-man squad vs Leeds Rhinos, Super League Round 14 Jordy Crowther, Ben Currie, Lachlan Fitzgibbon, James Harrison, Adam Holroyd, Toby King, Arron Lindop, Joe Philbin, Sam Powell, Stefan Ratchford, Dan Russell, Marc Sneyd, Rodrick Tai, Jake Thewlis, Josh Thewlis, Paul Vaughan, Tom Whitehead, George Williams, Max Wood, Connor Wrench, Luke Yates Leeds Rhinos welcome back key man for Warrington Wolves clash Hosts Leeds are boosted by the return of hooker Andy Ackers to contention for Saturday's game at Headingley. Advertisement The former Salford man has been absent for three months due to a torn hamstring but has been named in head coach Brad Arthur's squad for the game. Forward Kallum Watkins - a former Latchford Albion junior - would be making his 400th career appearance if selected.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Major cycling event to return to North East after six-year break
The Tour of the Reservoir cycling event is returning to Consett as part of the Lloyds National Road Series - back for the first time since 2019 due to the pandemic. (Image: Alex Whitehead/ A major cycling event set to return to the North East after a six-year break is expected to attract thousands of people The Tour of the Reservoir will be held in Consett on Sunday, June 22, as part of the Lloyds National Road Series. Advertisement The event last took place in 2019 and was postponed in subsequent years due to the pandemic. It will feature both men's and women's races and is expected to attract thousands of spectators. James Shaw (Swift Carbon Pro Cycling) takes Stage 2 and the overall win in 2019 (Image: VeloUK) John O'Connor, chair of Project Genesis Trust, said: "We're thrilled to welcome the Tour of the Reservoir back to Consett. "This event puts our town on the national sporting map and showcases everything we have to offer." The race day will begin at 9am with the Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir, a 113km women's race. Advertisement The men's open race will follow at 12.30pm, covering a 158km route. Womens field heads though Consett at the start of Stage 2. Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir in 2019 (Image: VeloUK) Both races are designated as National A events and will start and finish in Consett town centre. Organisers Edward Beechinor Collins and Steve Walton said: "As organisers of the Tour of the Reservoir and Alexandra Tour of the Reservoir races, it would not be possible without great support from Project Genesis and British Cycling. "We are keen to continue the legacy of this great event and bringing the event back to Consett will make a great day out for everyone." Advertisement The return of the race was originally planned for 2020 to mark the 40th anniversary of the closure of the Consett steelworks, but was postponed due to Covid-19. Mr O'Connor said: "The people embraced it in 2019, and it would've been a tragedy not to bring it back as it was such a success, with thousands of people coming into the town. "This event isn't just about cycling; it's about celebrating the resilience of this community and showing how far Consett has come. "We wanted to paint a positive picture of how the town fought back from hardship and has grown into something fantastic." Advertisement The Tour of the Reservoir is designed as a free, family-friendly event. Read more: The town centre will host live entertainment, food stalls, children's games, and cycling-themed activities throughout the day. Anthony Gill, head of sport at British Cycling, said: "Thanks to the commitment of the organisers Edward Beechinor Collins and Steve Walton at the Tour of the Reservoir, who are bringing this event back after six years. "The Lloyds National Road Series continues to be at the forefront of domestic racing, and we're excited to see events like this one inspire the next generation of British cyclists while delivering thrilling racing throughout the season."
