Brighton and Hove has been waiting to have a full-sized ice rink ever since the

SS Brighton closed in the Sixties.

Now a consortium preparing plans for the old Black Rock swimming pool site has suggested not one but two.

If councillors agree, there will be a rink open for public skating and another available for international ice hockey plus other sporting events.

The bonus about this proposal is that the complex could also house major conferences and enable the city council to make the replacement Brighton Centre smaller and more flexible than at present.

Councillors may find it hard to refuse such a tempting offer, especially when there is enormous demand for an ice rink.

But they should not dismiss out of hand the alternative scheme by the RH Partnership. This is for a hotel to be run by Sir Rocco Forte.

It shows how highly regarded Brighton is that two such attractive proposals can be made for a site that has been derelict for 25 years.

What councillors must do is to ensure the chosen scheme fits in well with the nearby Grade I listed buildings in Kemp Town.

The council must also provide proper car parking and contribute towards a rapid transit system on the seafront.

Either scheme would benefit to the city. Ice would be nice and a hotel would be swell.