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HOTEL AND FLATS PLAN FOR NEW ICE RINK

By County Press Reporter - Friday, August 11, 2006
By Richard Wright
A MULTI-MILLION pound re-development plan could sweep away Ryde's Planet Ice and replace it with a purpose-built rink complex, including a hotel — the scheme financed by luxury seaside apartments.
Talks have been held between planners and leading executives of the Arena Group, which owns Planet Ice. If permission is given, a new full-size rink could propel the Wightlink Raiders ice hockey team into the big league.
It is well-known that stand-alone rinks do not make money but can if part of a leisure complex. The bigger rink is envisaged to be one of a new generation designed as multi-use spaces, incorporating conference and concert facilities.
Although the existing rink is only 15 years old, secondhand ice-making plant was installed when it was built and its design, in a prominent part of Ryde's Conservation Area, was widely criticised.
The Arena Group has a 125-year lease on the land but is midway through its 15-year lease obligation to operate a rink there.
The idea of a hotel on part of the seafront site first surfaced in 2003 when it received IW Council support and gained recent new impetus through additions to the Arena Group board.
New chairman Alex Geffert is former managing director of Whitbread's hotel and leisure division.
"I know the Island very well and want to create a worthwhile development. I am very excited about the opportunity," he said. "We are working with the IW Council and we need to work with people in Ryde and consult with the town."
Group managing director Mike Petrouis said: "Apartments will be needed to make the plan viable, to enable us to take full advantage of a great location by replacing a building that is less than ideal in many respects."
The concept of re-development was welcomed in Ryde.
Ryde Business Association chairman Paul Wyatt said: "A good-quality hotel that takes advantage of this wonderful site is just what Ryde needs.
"Everyone knows the old Medina Borough Council was in a rush to put in the existing rink before the council was replaced. That produced a rink that was too small and a building that didn't even look out to sea.
"Now we have the opportunity to have a proper building with balconies to take advantage of the location but we must ensure we get the blend just right between the development, the number of apartments needed to finance it and the amount of important seafront car parking that could be lost."
Ward councillor Henry Adams sits on the development control committee. If he wants to take part in the decision-making process, he is prevented from expressing opinion in public before an application is considered.
He said: "I have previously said I am in favour of the concept of a top-class hotel and leisure development there. We will have to look closely at the detail."