Ice rink users concerned about congestion charge

Oxford Ice Rink opened 40 years ago

Users of a city's ice rink have said plans for a temporary £5 congestion charge for car drivers are unfair.

Under the current proposals there is no way to access Oxford Ice Rink without passing through the central zone of the congestion charge.

James Schall, who has been playing amateur ice hockey for 40 years, told the BBC he may have to give up the sport.

A public consultation on the plans is in its final week. If approved, the temporary measures will mean a daily charge for cars passing through six points in Oxford, unless they have a permit.

Oxford Ice Rink opened in 1984 and is run by Oxford City Council.

There is no way to access Oxford Ice Rink without passing through a congestion charge camera

Mr Schall said because there was no ice rink on the outskirts of the city, skaters were forced to venture into the city centre.

"The buses ban ice hockey kits so we can't get on the buses," he said.

"Youngsters train throughout the day, throughout the week, and what are they going to do?

"They can't dish out hundreds and thousands of exemptions to people going to the ice rink."

Darren Elliot, head coach of Oxford Junior Stars ice hockey club, said it was already "quite hard to attract people" into the city because of the traffic.

Oxfordshire County Council's traffic chief Andrew Gant said: "It is a balance. What we are trying to do is make better use of our roads by reducing congestion."

He said he was waiting for the results of the consultation, "but in the end you can't reduce traffic without reducing traffic - that is really what it comes down to".

Ice hockey players need to transport large kit bags into the congestion charge zone

Anna Railton, cabinet member for zero carbon at the city council, said Labour would be asking the Liberal Democrat-run county council to consider an exemption for ice rink users.

She said: "The ice rink is an important asset to not just the city and its residents but hundreds of people outside it too."

"This will have a huge impact on both the ice hockey and figure skating clubs who visit two, three, four plus times per week and overwhelmingly arrive by car.

"We have real concerns that these clubs will falter for the year or so the congestion charge runs, taking with it years of work to build them up and threatening the viability of the whole facility."

She said the city "absolutely" could not "afford for the ice rink to fail".

Permits will be available for carers, traders, blue badge holders and those commuting to or living in a central area of the city.

Some businesses and groups have backed an open letter supporting the charge, though the Stop the Oxford Congestion Charge petition has had more than 12,000 signatures to date.