Ice rink permanent closure move made temporary

The ice rink closure will no longer be permanent

Plans to permanently shut the Elgin ice rink have been replaced by a temporary closure.

The Board of Moray Leisure Centre said it had "worked constructively" with a range of groups and individuals since announcing plans to close the ice rink for good from 4 August.

It said that as a result of "ongoing discussions" it had decided to make the closure temporary until 5 October.

It said that would allow for a "more detailed, solution-focused process to take place".

The closure was announced earlier this month in the face of "spiralling" energy costs.

The board of Moray Leisure Centre said it had concluded its ice rink was "no longer financially viable".

"However, in response to the strength of feeling from the community and the constructive dialogue that followed, new potential opportunities and partnerships have emerged," it said in its latest statement.

It said the temporary closure would make "immediate energy savings" and also allow time to "explore all potential options for recovery and reinvestment".

The aim would be to "provide a sustainable future for the ice rink within this financial year and beyond".

'Challenging period'

The statement added: "This will be an incredible challenging period, as future plans must be both credible and achievable.

"The long-term future of the ice rink remains uncertain until a new financial and operational model can be developed.

"The board remains fully committed to working with key stakeholders to find solutions to both immediate and long-term challenges."

It said a sustainable future could only be achieved if everyone worked together over the next four to eight weeks.

It intends to set up a working group to take forward efforts to find a "viable solution".

The board said it remained committed to supporting and protecting staff affected by the temporary closure.

Moray MSP Richard Lochhead said "On the one hand a two-month closure is better than a permanent closure, however feedback from the users is that this still poses real challenges for them trying to organise competitions and training for their members.

"There is also the fear that if the doors close temporarily they won't reopen."