Opening of temporary ice rink in Slough delayed again

Christmas ice skating in Slough looks to be off the cards after Slough Borough Council (SBC) announced the opening date of a temporary ice rink will once again be delayed.

SBC had planned to open a temporary rink in the car park next to Absolutely Ice while the Montem Lane arena undergoes a £7.7m refurbishment.

An opening date was initially set for mid-November before being pushed back another month.

But SBC now says the temporary rink will not be opened on the rescheduled date of December 17 as contracts have not been agreed.

Alison Hibbert, leisure services manager, said: “We have done all the initial works, have the electricity company on standby, have full planning permission, have widened the access road, done everything we can do to make this temporary rink happen.

“Unfortunately we are having to wait for the contract to be agreed – and now we feel that even if it is agreed today the company will not be able to install the rink and associated building by December 17.

“We realise this will be a disappointment to many and it is to us as well and we continue to work with the company to move the project forward.”

Cllr Joginder Bal, commissioner for environment and leisure, added: “Unfortunately this delay in the temporary rink is something which is out of our control.

“We have worked extremely hard to make sure this temporary rink was possible and are very disappointed that the project hasn’t moved at the speed we had hoped so far.”