Isle of Wight ice rink plan halted by drainage issues

The future of a proposed ice rink for the Isle of Wight is in doubt after drainage problems appear to have halted the plans.

A new £3m indoor leisure complex in Ryde was approved by the island's council in 2019.

The group behind the scheme has submitted revised proposals which do not include an ice rink as originally planned.

The island has been without an ice rink since Ryde Arena closed in 2016.

The Smallbrook Ice and Leisure Centre (SILC) was originally approved to have a climbing wall, trampoline area, multi-use courts, an ice rink and tennis courts.

Revised plans include two tennis courts and limited parking, but no mention of the ice rink.

SILC told the Local Democracy Reporting Service drainage had hindered the ice rink plans, so it was "at least trying to vary conditions to allow for the tennis and multi-courts to be built".

During the original 2019 consultation, Sports England said the site was prone to waterlogging and poor drainage. Combined with the lack of technical information submitted, it meant the body could not support the development.

A condition of permission to build the leisure centre and rink was that no development could take place until a foul water drainage and disposal scheme had been approved and installed.

SILC said the group had tried to get past the drainage condition but had been unable to - there is no mains drainage on the site needed for the constant disposal of ice.

An application to build an on-site treatment plant had not been accepted after several months, it said.

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