Ice rink plans unveiled for city (From Daily Echo)
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£10m Ice rink plans for Southampton
6:00pm Friday 15th January 2010 in Politics
THE latest bid to end Southampton’s 20-year wait for an ice rink is on the table.
Having submitted a previous proposal for an Olympic-sized rink in the heart of the city, complete with conference facilities and accommodation, developer Colin Warburg has scaled down the plans and is now on the verge of submitting a £10m project for one of the city’s most deprived wards.
St Mary’s is set to be the home of the new 850-seater ice rink complex that will house a 56 metres by 26 metres rink, a cafe, a restaurant, a gym and a number of retail outlets.
The rink, which could create up to 200 jobs, could also become home to a city-based ice hockey team and provide a home for figure skaters.
The site is where Chantry Hall stood before it was burnt down by arsonists.
Mr Warburg, a Southamptonbased developer who owns Warburg Property Development, said: “An ice rink in Southampton has been a long time coming.
“This time we do not have to acquire the land and there are good transport links to the proposed site. We have had positive feedback and the signs are good.”
Mr Warburg said research showed the rink was financially viable, despite the temporary ice rink held in the city over Christmas 2008 making a loss, and the failure to secure the return of the rink in 2009.
“I estimate we would attract around 250,000 people a year.
Research shows that around 65 per cent of people who go to ice rinks are under 25, and with two univ e r s i - ties in the city and a large population we have the market there.”
A public consultation has been launched and those interested can register their views online.
Public meetings are being held on January 21 at St Mary’s Church, St Mary’s Street, from 4pm to 5.30pm and 6pm to 7.30pm.
Bob Kendal, of Southampton Ice Dance and Figure S k a t i n g Club, said: “Any plan to bring a permanent ice rink to the city is fantastic, but we have been led up this path a few times now.”
If plans are approved the rink could open by the end of 2011.
Welcoming the proposal, Councillor John Hannides, executive member for leisure, culture and heritage, said: “We will offer every support and help to any application from a private company that believes they can make it a commercially viable business.”
Ice Rink Facts
■ The Top Rank ice rink closed its doors in 1988. Since then plans for a replacement have never got off the ground.
■ In July 2007 Southampton City Council threw out plans for an £80m ice skating complex with conference facilities and a 28-storey apartment block.
■ The administration felt the plans didn’t stack up and were not prepared to sell off the councilowned land as part of the deal.
■ Mr Warburg subsequently acquired the Chantry Hall site, originally intending to develop it as a youth facility, but the building was destroyed by arsonists.
■ Permission was later granted for a flats development on an adjacent plot that Mr Warburg also owned.
But when he cleared both sites he realised the potential to revive the ice rink plans across the land.
Comments(68)
Condor Man
says...
8:30am Fri 15 Jan 10
cazgold
says...
8:43am Fri 15 Jan 10
Mexeman
says...
8:53am Fri 15 Jan 10
sw-nice-warm!
freemantlegirl2
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9:04am Fri 15 Jan 10
Apart from that sounds like a good idea that could benefit young people/families in the city :)
Day Dreamer
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9:16am Fri 15 Jan 10
Saint-Scooby
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9:25am Fri 15 Jan 10
Barbender
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9:27am Fri 15 Jan 10
Nothing to say
says...
9:28am Fri 15 Jan 10
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Waste of money.
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The city needs a multi-purpose arena capable of housing around 10,000-12,000 people to make it viable for concerts, exhibitions, conferences, indoor sport and possible ice rink when not being used for anything else.
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That's the only way to make money out of the ice rink idea.
S!mon
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9:35am Fri 15 Jan 10
Don't they have homes of their own? :)
THE BRICK
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9:41am Fri 15 Jan 10
The Magical Brick, The Southampton Vikings Ice Hockey Club, The Southampton Ice Dance and Figure Skating Club and the United Southampton Skaters, and the 2500 members of the 'Campaign for a permanent ice rink in Southampton' facebook group all SUPPORT Colin Warburk whole heartedly and look forward to hearing much more about this scheme and wish him every success in this venture, whoop, whoop, YES WE CAN!!!!
THE BRICK is back!
allsaintsnocurves
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9:44am Fri 15 Jan 10
southy
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9:44am Fri 15 Jan 10
out all the indoor sports ice skating is the cheapest to keep running.
Mexeman
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9:48am Fri 15 Jan 10
THE BRICK wrote:The 2500 campaign members need to prepare themselves for about £100 EACH per WEEK for the running costs including rates, insurance, heating, cooling etc and thats just the big items of cost. As someone has already said "got his face and name in the paper"
Fantastic news, of course all the same old contributors who have nothing good to say about an ice rink will stick their opinions in but the real supporters who will look forward to ice skating once again in Southampton will igniore them.
The Magical Brick, The Southampton Vikings Ice Hockey Club, The Southampton Ice Dance and Figure Skating Club and the United Southampton Skaters, and the 2500 members of the 'Campaign for a permanent ice rink in Southampton' facebook group all SUPPORT Colin Warburk whole heartedly and look forward to hearing much more about this scheme and wish him every success in this venture, whoop, whoop, YES WE CAN!!!!
THE BRICK is back!
Call me cynical but also think that i may be a realist.
southy
says...
10:07am Fri 15 Jan 10
Mexeman wrote:thats bs and you know it.indoor ice skating is the cheapest indoor sports there is.
THE BRICK wrote:The 2500 campaign members need to prepare themselves for about £100 EACH per WEEK for the running costs including rates, insurance, heating, cooling etc and thats just the big items of cost. As someone has already said "got his face and name in the paper"
Fantastic news, of course all the same old contributors who have nothing good to say about an ice rink will stick their opinions in but the real supporters who will look forward to ice skating once again in Southampton will igniore them.
The Magical Brick, The Southampton Vikings Ice Hockey Club, The Southampton Ice Dance and Figure Skating Club and the United Southampton Skaters, and the 2500 members of the 'Campaign for a permanent ice rink in Southampton' facebook group all SUPPORT Colin Warburk whole heartedly and look forward to hearing much more about this scheme and wish him every success in this venture, whoop, whoop, YES WE CAN!!!!
THE BRICK is back!
Call me cynical but also think that i may be a realist.
Ken Hutchinson
says...
10:11am Fri 15 Jan 10
colinpickford1
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10:20am Fri 15 Jan 10
? The pole vault on ice????? This I've got to see.
Mexeman
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10:28am Fri 15 Jan 10
southy wrote:OK Southy, perhaps not £100 more like £95 then. NO indoor sport costs nothing, think about it....
Mexeman wrote:thats bs and you know it.indoor ice skating is the cheapest indoor sports there is.
THE BRICK wrote:The 2500 campaign members need to prepare themselves for about £100 EACH per WEEK for the running costs including rates, insurance, heating, cooling etc and thats just the big items of cost. As someone has already said "got his face and name in the paper"
Fantastic news, of course all the same old contributors who have nothing good to say about an ice rink will stick their opinions in but the real supporters who will look forward to ice skating once again in Southampton will igniore them.
The Magical Brick, The Southampton Vikings Ice Hockey Club, The Southampton Ice Dance and Figure Skating Club and the United Southampton Skaters, and the 2500 members of the 'Campaign for a permanent ice rink in Southampton' facebook group all SUPPORT Colin Warburk whole heartedly and look forward to hearing much more about this scheme and wish him every success in this venture, whoop, whoop, YES WE CAN!!!!
THE BRICK is back!
Call me cynical but also think that i may be a realist.
Rent, because he WILL want a return on his investment, overall size about 25000 square feet @ about £10/ft2
Rates at about £5?/ft2
the list goes on (and on and on) thats a lot of people on the ice paying a relatively small amount.
Sorry, but it just doesn't add up to being viable.
Jammy Donut
says...
10:30am Fri 15 Jan 10
Hmm
StEmmosfire
says...
10:33am Fri 15 Jan 10
southy
says...
10:48am Fri 15 Jan 10
colinpickford1 wrote:lol colin you still has crazy has i use to know you, you not changed
Ice skaters practicing for the 2012 olympic games???????????????
? The pole vault on ice????? This I've got to see.
southy
says...
11:13am Fri 15 Jan 10
Mexeman wrote:and a lot lower than that, out off all the indoor sports it is the cheapest to run, the only problem is they can have to many people on the ice at the same time, and this is where accidents happens.
southy wrote:OK Southy, perhaps not £100 more like £95 then. NO indoor sport costs nothing, think about it....
Mexeman wrote:thats bs and you know it.indoor ice skating is the cheapest indoor sports there is.
THE BRICK wrote:The 2500 campaign members need to prepare themselves for about £100 EACH per WEEK for the running costs including rates, insurance, heating, cooling etc and thats just the big items of cost. As someone has already said "got his face and name in the paper"
Fantastic news, of course all the same old contributors who have nothing good to say about an ice rink will stick their opinions in but the real supporters who will look forward to ice skating once again in Southampton will igniore them.
The Magical Brick, The Southampton Vikings Ice Hockey Club, The Southampton Ice Dance and Figure Skating Club and the United Southampton Skaters, and the 2500 members of the 'Campaign for a permanent ice rink in Southampton' facebook group all SUPPORT Colin Warburk whole heartedly and look forward to hearing much more about this scheme and wish him every success in this venture, whoop, whoop, YES WE CAN!!!!
THE BRICK is back!
Call me cynical but also think that i may be a realist.
Rent, because he WILL want a return on his investment, overall size about 25000 square feet @ about £10/ft2
Rates at about £5?/ft2
the list goes on (and on and on) thats a lot of people on the ice paying a relatively small amount.
Sorry, but it just doesn't add up to being viable.
ice skating is also a very fit sport, its like swimming you need to use parts of the body that you dont normally use in other sports, one of manchester utd old goalkeepers alex stephany use to go ice skating once a week. and swimming it use to be part of his training. a lot of big sports people use to go ice skating has part of there training, because you really work your lungs and heart plus your legs.
wilson castaway
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11:20am Fri 15 Jan 10
Ive got my fingers crossed for this one I would love to see this built.
goard
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12:02pm Fri 15 Jan 10
goard
Chipster
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12:06pm Fri 15 Jan 10
teh
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12:11pm Fri 15 Jan 10
VIVERS
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12:33pm Fri 15 Jan 10
Saintbob
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12:34pm Fri 15 Jan 10
davesbabe
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12:50pm Fri 15 Jan 10
adamello
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12:50pm Fri 15 Jan 10
teh
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12:57pm Fri 15 Jan 10
If you go to Gosport, it is always busy and there a LOT of southampton users down there too.
Friday nights, always packed with kids.
Lots of people doing lessons, and having a good time.
The NHS doesn't need our money at all, they waste it.
The truth of the matter is, you know you're wrong, and Southampton may and probably will now have the chance to hold the flag on the south coast for winter Olympics etc.
Please take your uneducated factless answers else where because you obviously HAVEN'T been to an ice rink .
Saint Cope
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1:09pm Fri 15 Jan 10
jimbobbo
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1:12pm Fri 15 Jan 10
teh
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1:12pm Fri 15 Jan 10
THE BRICK
says...
1:19pm Fri 15 Jan 10
Cometh the hour, cometh THE BRICK
jimbobbo
says...
1:21pm Fri 15 Jan 10
THE BRICK wrote:Fair play to this.
I love it, all the dissenters scrabbling away trying to say its not going to work, it will cost too much blah blah blah, and every little light that shines like Teh and others get the usual drival aimed at them. Bring it on, or find something better to do with your days. You will never dampen our spirit, you've tried for 21 years yet still we come and prove you all wrong.
Cometh the hour, cometh THE BRICK
Could you consider building a speedway track around the outside of the ice rink? I'll pay for the materials!
goard
says...
1:22pm Fri 15 Jan 10
goard
becksbeare
says...
1:23pm Fri 15 Jan 10
I'll be happy to skate, but I think my knees are well past skiing and snowboarding!
southy
says...
1:40pm Fri 15 Jan 10
jimbobbo wrote:speedway is another thing we need back here again, and greyhound racing.
THE BRICK wrote:Fair play to this.
I love it, all the dissenters scrabbling away trying to say its not going to work, it will cost too much blah blah blah, and every little light that shines like Teh and others get the usual drival aimed at them. Bring it on, or find something better to do with your days. You will never dampen our spirit, you've tried for 21 years yet still we come and prove you all wrong.
Cometh the hour, cometh THE BRICK
Could you consider building a speedway track around the outside of the ice rink? I'll pay for the materials!
Lone Ranger
says...
1:43pm Fri 15 Jan 10
.
Quote from 29/12/08:-..But council chiefs decided to sell the land to social housing builder Lovell as the highest bidder in an auction, claiming Mr Warburg offered no guarantees and that selling below value would be a public subsidy to his project.
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So now are they selling it below market value? and what guarantees is Mr Warburg offering now that he did not offer before.
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After comments recently about selling cheap land for a Mosque i wonder if the same applies here under a different council.
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However, if this rink can be built using private money for everything without burden to the tax payer..then it must get a thumbs up all round....and well done Mr Warburg for hopefully giving the residents of this City a great leisure facility
soton1980
says...
1:48pm Fri 15 Jan 10
Any word from the council/MPs on the balloon festival Daily Echo? It has the support of loads of people in the city and last time I checked the Facebook group was upto 11,000 people! Wishful thinking perhaps, I know... but I see no reason why it can't be done! BRING BACK THE BALLOON FESTIVAL!!
Paramjit Bahia
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2:18pm Fri 15 Jan 10
Redback
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2:43pm Fri 15 Jan 10
confused of kingsland
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2:55pm Fri 15 Jan 10
Nothing to say wrote:Fantastic if it comes off but I agree with 'Nothing to say', a multi-purpose arena is the way forward
Well, it got his face in the local paper and he managed to print off a very rough artists impression of a large shed.... so he is clearly deserving of public money... NOT!
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Waste of money.
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The city needs a multi-purpose arena capable of housing around 10,000-12,000 people to make it viable for concerts, exhibitions, conferences, indoor sport and possible ice rink when not being used for anything else.
.
That's the only way to make money out of the ice rink idea.
BrixtonSaint
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3:01pm Fri 15 Jan 10
Jammy Donut
says...
3:04pm Fri 15 Jan 10
Great Idea with the slalom on Lords Hill
stay local
says...
3:07pm Fri 15 Jan 10
It sounds like a good plan but not if it requires public money, I doubt if it will happen. They still need to analyse the Christmas ice rink of 2008 which made a stunning loss, indicating a lack of demand, and the fact that a strong support group over the last 20 years has managed to accumulate the following items and resources to help develop the new ice rink…. One brick second hand.
OSPREYSAINT
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3:09pm Fri 15 Jan 10
This is the only type of skate we welcome in Southampton!
Colin W
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3:34pm Fri 15 Jan 10
o.uk
THE BRICK
says...
3:44pm Fri 15 Jan 10
Lone Ranger wrote:Firstly this is a different piece of land, not the one mentioned in the Echo. That piece of land was the old Co-Op site.
When this land was first put up for sale the Echo reported the following . Quote from 29/12/08:-..But council chiefs decided to sell the land to social housing builder Lovell as the highest bidder in an auction, claiming Mr Warburg offered no guarantees and that selling below value would be a public subsidy to his project. . So now are they selling it below market value? and what guarantees is Mr Warburg offering now that he did not offer before. . After comments recently about selling cheap land for a Mosque i wonder if the same applies here under a different council. . However, if this rink can be built using private money for everything without burden to the tax payer..then it must get a thumbs up all round....and well done Mr Warburg for hopefully giving the residents of this City a great leisure facility
'Stay Local' get your facts right, you appear to have a jumbled view and are only able to blather most of the time about something you know nothing about.
The council only have one part to play, that is to approve or refuse the planning application and no 'publc money' or 'tax payers money' will be asked for, in fact under the terms of an application of this size, a contribution from 'the developer' will be demanded for changes to the road infrastructure. I know some words I use are big ones but use the online dictionary if you don't understand them.
allsaintsnocurves
says...
3:50pm Fri 15 Jan 10
Lone Ranger
says...
4:19pm Fri 15 Jan 10
THE BRICK wrote:You have obviously confused the P with a B in your name...however...i suggest you read again what i have said. I will type a little slower so that you understand......"Sta
Lone Ranger wrote: When this land was first put up for sale the Echo reported the following . Quote from 29/12/08:-..But council chiefs decided to sell the land to social housing builder Lovell as the highest bidder in an auction, claiming Mr Warburg offered no guarantees and that selling below value would be a public subsidy to his project. . So now are they selling it below market value? and what guarantees is Mr Warburg offering now that he did not offer before. . After comments recently about selling cheap land for a Mosque i wonder if the same applies here under a different council. . However, if this rink can be built using private money for everything without burden to the tax payer..then it must get a thumbs up all round....and well done Mr Warburg for hopefully giving the residents of this City a great leisure facilityFirstly this is a different piece of land, not the one mentioned in the Echo. That piece of land was the old Co-Op site. 'Stay Local' get your facts right, you appear to have a jumbled view and are only able to blather most of the time about something you know nothing about. The council only have one part to play, that is to approve or refuse the planning application and no 'publc money' or 'tax payers money' will be asked for, in fact under the terms of an application of this size, a contribution from 'the developer' will be demanded for changes to the road infrastructure. I know some words I use are big ones but use the online dictionary if you don't understand them.
y Local"...? what are you on about......You may notice on the assuption that it is if you that can read....that i stated that....if private money was used and no cost to the tax payer it would be great. As regards the piece of land then if i made a mistake so be it..............So before you act like a muppet in future and think everyone is an as**h*** like you think again troll
THE BRICK
says...
5:44pm Fri 15 Jan 10
Lone Ranger
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5:49pm Fri 15 Jan 10
THE BRICK wrote:Your welcome...perhaps you should have made that clearer....as regards the abuse i suppose that after you have been trying to get an ice rink for 25 years you must be well used to it by now......but i do think you are on thin ice with this one
Oh dear 'lone ranger', my last post was answering what you had to about the land, AND also what 'stay local' had to say, oh and thanks for the abuse, love it :)
OSPREYSAINT
says...
6:03pm Fri 15 Jan 10
Redback wrote:It is not an obsession with Ice Rinks, it is an obsession that there isn't one after many promises.
ROFLMAO. What is it with Southampton's obsession with ice rinks? It's truly bizarre.
Brite Spark
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9:41pm Fri 15 Jan 10
stay local
says...
7:31am Sat 16 Jan 10
Planning was secured by WPD for a 6 storey build on the Western site giving retail, office and 36 residential units. A sum was agreed to be given to Chantry Hall Trust (Southampton) when build started.
Funding was moving forward well with a professional funder engaged and good expectation for a substantial grant from Heritage Lottery for between £1-2Million.
Then disaster struck and the hall was broken into in June 2007. To keep warm a fire was lit - on the cleared timber floor! Naturally the fire spread, and a passing police car noted the smoke and helped the person to safety. The building was checked for further people before the fire brigade arrived. By then the fire was well established and the whole roof was lost along with most of the internal features.
All funding was withdrawn and attempts to raise further support failed. The building was now dangerous and was delisted before being demolished.
so the site was designated to be flat and houses, but with lots of public money.
Now.................
Today although funding is by no means guaranteed, it was decided to go ahead with planning. On the basis that once planning was secured (assuming it is), then access to funding would be easier.
.....
So is this a project seeking investment from the governmentetc or have the skaters of southampton been fund raising and now have sufficent risk captial to help its development.
(code word free-club!)
Captain Swing
says...
10:10am Sat 16 Jan 10
Saint-Scooby wrote:This story is about Southampton, not Lymington: we don’t have anything like the number of pram pushing, fag smoking chavs you have to put up with on that side of the county.
Oh lordy, look at all the injurys we had last year at the civic centre. Yes its a great idea but will never make any money. Times have changed, gone of the days when you could break someones bones and think nothing of it, if one does open it will be a filthy wreck within a year and shutdown due to high running costs withing two years. The council cant get involved look at all those pram pushing fag smoking chavs they all need looking after ......
And those pram pushing, fag smoking chavs we do have are, for the most part, refined, articulate, a credit to the community and would certainly appreciate a place such as an ice-rink to amuse their children when they are old enough to walk.
forest hump
says...
10:38am Sat 16 Jan 10
OSPREYSAINT
says...
2:38pm Sat 16 Jan 10
Rowester
says...
3:03pm Sat 16 Jan 10
ly ive allways thought a ice rink would not generate enough money to keep up with running costs.....but as long as the money does not come from public funds then whats the harm.I certainly dont know the ins & outs of the details but hope he gets a fair crack.
adclose
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4:03pm Sat 16 Jan 10
alabaster
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5:12pm Sat 16 Jan 10
forest hump
says...
5:26pm Sat 16 Jan 10
alabaster wrote:I was not aware that Germans and residents of Portsmouth frequented the Top Rank. I guess Rank is the operative word!
People pay £7 at the cinema (to stare inactive at dull Holywood nonsense) If this gets kids active then I hope it happens. I remember Top Rank. Skating was brilliant (it was the best place to meet new friends and was very good for meeting boys). Its exciting, sociable, healthy and the kids will love it. They can meet, chat, show off their fashions. I remember the stinky skates, and stinky burgers.
OSPREYSAINT
says...
6:18pm Sat 16 Jan 10
adclose wrote:There are a number of schemes to build affordable homes, but the people who are to live in them surely deserve some form of entertainment to go to, being house bound is not much fun.
again!?. we need affordable homes not dodgy schemes. ice rink schemes come and go in in this city, and i cannot see there is enough grass root support for skating locally. just because a handful of people want something, it doesnt mean it will be a commercial success.however, i wish them luck.. nothing ventured nothing gained! (but if investors do have money to burn, i would rather they spent it on renovating empty properties and building affordable homes.)
fuzzyfelt
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1:20pm Sun 17 Jan 10
its a constant problem but is there going to extra parking or is it going to be park and ride ? lol
Once the rink failed it could be turned into a night club remember jollys ?
When the old rink closed i was a great skater ....now i wouldnt be able to run for a bus ;-)
julobe
says...
11:10am Tue 19 Jan 10
An ice rink in southampton will create jobs, give people of all ages a sport that is very active to participate in. Will get the teenagers off the streets where the trouble has become. continue
julobe
says...
11:20am Tue 19 Jan 10
It will also give ice hockey teams and figure skaters somewhere closer to skate.
As for the complaints about the size. The measurements for the new ice rink at not much different to many other ice rinks. What do people want, a football stadium!
The only thing I wish is that the council would stop simply talking about this and just get on with it already!
As for the comments about the temporary rinks we've had. What do you councils expect. One ice rink barely big enough to swing a cat! The other you have to book a place, just to spend 45 minutes on the ice! It's a joke, it's no wonder you've never made a profit. Thats not how the ice skating world works.
Now, seeing as we have yet another ice rink possibility. Please just build it already. Stop repeating the same routine year after year. It is obvious that the city and the keen skaters want one. So just do it.
southamptongeordie says...
8:28am Fri 15 Jan 10