Ice rink firm is now in financial trouble

Telford Ice Rink could have been nothing more than an 'embarrassing, empty, flooded shed' if it had it been signed over from the council to a private firm, it has been claimed.

Telford & Wrekin Council's former administration had plans to privatise the rink and were in discussions with a firm called Planet Ice, which is now in financial trouble.

HM Revenues and Customs is taking action against the company in a dispute over unpaid taxes at eight Planet Ice rinks in Basingstoke, Cardiff, Gosport, Hemel Hempstead, Isle of Wight, Milton Keynes, Norwich and Peterborough.

At last night's meeting of full council, Councillor Arnold England, cabinet member for leisure and wellbeing at Telford & Wrekin Council, said the move could have seen ratepayers forced to pick up the tab if a deal had been done and the rink would now have been closed.

Conservative leader Councillor Andrew Eade said the former administration had not signed the deal with Planet Ice.

Councillor England said: "We would have entered into a lottery situation and we may, or may not, have lost our rink.

"Officers found Planet Ice was a risk but the problem was we were not allowed to say that. We had to keep quiet while you people (the Conservative group) stood up and said you had a viable operator – our investigation found Planet Ice was not a viable operator.

"It would have created an embarrassing, empty, flooded shed in the town centre and the publicity would have been massive. I'm sure it would have cost the authority a lot of money to rescue it."

Councillor Eade added: "No final decisions were made. There were recommendations, and being in possession of the information we would have made the same decision (not to do business with Planet Ice).

"Rather than cost people a further £3.5 million in borrowing, you could have looked for another operator.

"We would have kept looking."