Black Rock on ice again (From The Argus)

Black Rock on ice again

8:15am Thursday 14th December 2006

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The opening of Brighton's £70 million Olympic ice rink has been delayed for a third time.

The venue, originally planned to open at the derelict seafront Black Rock site, has been beset by problems brought on by a raft of proposed developments at the nearby marina.

Project leaders have missed another self-imposed deadline and admitted there is no chance of the arena opening before 2009.

The litany of broken promises has included: A pledge in September 2003 that the arena would be built in 2007; David Pople, managing director of Brighton Arena Ltd, announcing in August this year he expected a planning application to be submitted in October; Brighton and Hove City Council confirming in October a planning application was expected in November and saying work could start next year.

Mr Pople has now admitted the planning application would be submitted in January at the earliest and the centre would not open until autumn 2009.

He said: "We had done 90 per cent of all of the work - which we are having to revise to take into account the cumulative impact with the other schemes at the marina."

Those schemes include the Western end project, involving the construction of a new Asda and McDonalds, the creation a bridge and pathway from the cliff top down into the marina and 900 new apartments.

Other projects in the area include a 420ft tower as the centrepiece of a £235 million development which would include ten other buildings and a total of 853 homes.

Mr Pople said: "We have just got to take into account other developments, as any other major application would.

"We are working very hard and hope to deliver the planning application as soon as possible - many of the team will be working over Christmas."

The Brighton International Arena will include two ice rinks, a 11,000-seat concert hall, a 100-seat cinema, flats, a museum, recording and dance studios, bars, shops and restaurants.

Business leaders say the plans would be a major boost to the Sussex economy but concern has been raised about the extra traffic. Two million visitors are expected to visit the venue each year and it is will create 126 permanent jobs and 250 part-time positions.

Councillor Simon Burgess, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, said: "It has been a long wait but the developers have worked so hard in getting it all in place. If they can shorten the timescale, the city wouldn't have to wait so long for a great ice rink."

Patricia Ginman, of Keep Sussex Skating, has campaigned for years to get a new ice rink in Brighton.

She said: "It will be a major disappointment for all the skaters who want this so much"

The Brighton Centre is hosting two weeks of ice-skating over Christmas, and is the only other venue to offer any skating.

But it too is set to be redeveloped and although no completion date has been given, councillors hope a new facility will be in place by the London 2012 Olympics.

Argus columnist Adam Trimingham, who has followed the Black Rock development from its inception, said big city projects had a history of being delayed. He said. "There have always been plans to replace the ice rink since the last one closed in 1965."

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