CONCERNS have been raised over whether UK Athletics is going to move its headquarters to Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium.

Six months ago Birmingham City Council announced UK Athletics was moving from its current premises near Solihull as a vital part of a council funding package to transform the Perry Barr stadium into a world-class venue capable of staging the European Athletics Championships.

Rent paid by UK Athletics to occupy offices under a new 5,000-seat stand has been pencilled in to meet repayments on an £11 million loan taken out by the council to improve the stadium and increase the maximum seating capacity to 25,000.

Announcing the prospective move last year, cabinet leisure, sport and culture member Martin Mullaney insisted that Birmingham had “beaten London” to become the home of UK athletics.

Coun Mullaney (Lib Dem Moseley & Kings Heath) speculated that Birmingham’s coup would stun media organisations in the capital, which assumed that UK Athletics was likely to move to the Olympic Games stadium in Newham, London after 2012.

UK Athletics head of communications Claire Furlong, when asked this week about the move to Alexander Stadium, said: “There is no decision as yet. I have no update to give you.”

She was not aware of any discussions about a possible move to London by UK Athletics.