Bristol ice rink to become student halls.

Talks are underway to launch plans to turn Bristol’s only ice rink into student halls.

The current owner John Nike has been in talks with Unite to allow the to redevelop the site. He has plans to build a larger leisure centre to the south of the city and include an ice rink in that development.
If the plans are approved the rink development could open in September 2014.

Mr Nike explained his plans: “We have been in talks with Unite for 12 months over this issue because the lease was coming to an end. I took over the ice rink in the early 1990s because we wanted a foothold in the city and we had plans for an NEC-style centre in Stockwood.

He added: “I currently own 140 acres of green belt land next to the park and ride in Stockwood and along with Crest Nicholson we have been talking to the planning inspectorate. If we were to build then the scheme there would be land set aside for commercial use which would be most likely an ice rink.”

James Hunt, development director at Unite, said: “We are in the early stages of planning new Unite student accommodation on the site currently occupied by the Bristol Ice Rink and the O2 music venue. The O2 will not be impacted by our plans; however, the ice rink will be affected.

“We are in discussion with the owner of Bristol Ice Rink about their future role in the new development. The new development will include some leisure space and will work with the ice rink to keep users informed of our proposal as they develop.

It is expected that the ice rink will close in October of this year, displacing the ice hockey teams, figure skaters and synchronised skaters who practise at the rink.

Sharon Davies, chairwoman of the Bristol Bulldogs junior team, said: “I am devastated for the children.

“When it closes down our nearest rink would be Swindon, which is impossible. I would like to think it would not be the end of the Bristol Bulldogs, but I just don’t know how we’d go on unless we found another home in Bristol.”