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The council has admitted it still does not know when it will be able to reopen Islington’s only ice rink, which shut down just months after undergoing a £500,000 refurbishment.
The ice rink at Sobell Leisure Centre was re-launched in July, after major council investment in a state-of-the-art makeover.
It was then closed again in December due to a major fault with the new refrigeration system, which meant that all the ice melted.
Negotiations are ongoing with the ice rink contractor Aquaterra, but the council says it is still too early to estimate cost or give a timetable for reopening.
However, a source at Sobell Leisure Centre said that it was unlikely to be open before next year.
A ÂŁ1.7m refurbishment of the whole Sobell Leisure Centre was carried out last year to save it from closure. Â A new ice rink, lighting and sound system were installed, all fixtures and fittings were replaced and a new refrigeration plant was put in.
Meanwhile, Sobell Ice Skating Club has nowhere to train and it is understood that it has been forced to practise on rollerblades instead.
When the refurbishment began, Sobell Ice Skating Club coach Karen Coombes said she was hopeful that the top-of-the-range facilities would mean that the young skaters at the club would be able to take their national ice-skating awards.
Cllr Paul Convery, executive member for leisure and regeneration, said:Â “We’re bitterly disappointed at the failure of the new ice rink. We’re working to get the rink reopened as quickly as possible for the many skaters from across Islington and London who use it.”
