Victoria Park ice rink talks stall

Town council rules an ice rink in the park would be too costly

TALKS to bring an ice rink to Newbury’s Victoria Park froze this week after councillors were informed it could cost up to £1m.

Members agreed that the facility on the boating lake would struggle to make a return on investment.

Even installing a temporary rink in the park each year would cost £180,000, without running costs, which the town council’s community services manager David Ingram said would be a “minimum” expense for its set-up of the facility.

The overall expenditure could amount to more than £240,000 in a season. The installation of a permanent ice rink, however, would have cost an estimated £995,925.

While members agreed that an ice rink in the park represented a good business opportunity, officers were instructed not to pursue the opportunity due to the significant investment needed, showing an uncertain return on the suggested investment.