RINK RETHINK

» ‘Yes’ to new space for skating and festive market

leigh.boobyer@reachplc.com

CHELTENHAM’S Christmas market will expand and an ice rink will be in a new location this winter after plans were given the goahead.

The temporary ice rink will return to Imperial Gardens, but in a new place where it will be set up on the quarter of the garden outside the Queen’s Hotel.

And the Christmas market will be expanded onto the pavements at the Long Gardens on either side of Promenade close to the ice rink.

Cheltenham Business Improvement District (BID), which is putting on the festive experience, said it will take further advice in the run-up to winter about social distancing on the ice rink.

Cheltenham Borough Council’s planning committee unanimously backed the BID’S plans in an online meeting on Thursday, May 28.

Committee chairman and Cheltenham Borough Councillor Paul Baker (LD, Charlton Park) said during the meeting: “If you go to Bath, their Christmas Market is so impressive.

“I congratulate Cheltenham BID on upping our game as we need to compete not only with Gloucester but also with Bristol and Bath.”

Cheltenham Borough Councillor

Rowena Hay (LD, Oakley) said at the meeting: “This is incredibly important as part of our recovery strategy.

“The new market will link not only different parts of the Promenade but also link Montpellier to the town centre.

“The ice rink will have minimal impact on Imperial Gardens, as it only uses a small part of the gardens.”

Cheltenham Borough Council’s planning committee approved the BID’S plans for an ice rink in Imperial Gardens at a meeting last November.

However, due to on-going work at The Quadrangle, which is undergoing a multi-million-pound refurbishment, the original site planned for the rink within the gardens was not available, which led to the plans being reconsidered.

BID Director Kevan Blackadder said: “We are delighted that we have been given the go-ahead to improve Cheltenham as a Christmas destination, which will be so important on the back of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We are aware that we will have to take further advice as to whether it will be safe to go-ahead with the ice rink with social distancing measures still likely to be in place.

“If that means it will be unsafe to proceed, we now know that we will be able to bring this eagerly-awaited attraction to the town next year.”

The ice rink operators will be 11th Hour, which runs rinks across the country including Cardiff ’s Winter Wonderland, pictured, last winter.

Cheltenham BID will take over responsibility for running the Christmas Market from the borough council for the first time this year.

It said it was keen to increase the size of the market to attract a wider range and higher quality of traders.