Skating event axed after planning permission refusal

People who had bought tickets to the event will be fully refunded, organisers said

A summer roller skating event has been cancelled after it was denied temporary planning permission.

The team behind Summer Skate were hoping to use Bournemouth's Lower Gardens but its application was refused by the council.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said this was due to the adverse visual impact it would have had on the area, as well as it not complying with environmental legislation.

People who had bought tickets will be fully refunded, organisers said.

BCP Council said it refused permission to protect the environment in Bournemouth's Lower Gardens

The Summer Skate group had planned for a rink covered by a roof tent and an area for a big screen, bar and toilet facilities.

In a post on social media it expressed its disappointment and complained the event had already been given the go-ahead by the Lower Gardens Trust board, BCP's event's team "and the rigorous safety advisory group".

"At this late stage, this is devastating news," organisers said.

"As a private company, we have incurred considerable cost and time on trying to bring a safe and happy environment to the town centre and Bournemouth Gardens.

'Difficult decision'

A BCP Council spokesperson said the application was refused by a planning committee on Monday due to "the adverse visual impact on the Lower Gardens, which are Grade II listed, alongside non-compliance in relation to new legislation on biodiversity net gain and concerns around displaced flooding".

"The local planning authority acknowledges that this decision will be disappointing for the applicant," the spokesperson said.

"Planning committee members recognised at the meeting that it was a difficult decision but, on balance, they concluded that the negatives did outweigh the benefits."

Biodiversity net gain requires a development to make sure that habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than they were before the development.