Isle of Wight gin distillery plan for former ice rink

Protesters joined hands to form a chain around the building in 2016 following its closure

A former ice rink that controversially shut in 2016 could be turned into a gin distillery.

Ryde Arena's closure provoked protest rallies and was raised in parliament by Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely.

Isle of Wight Distillery, which makes Mermaid Gin, has submitted a planning application to relocate to the seafront site from its base at Pondwell.

It said the prospect of the ice rink ever being reopened had "completely diminished".

Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely berated the rink's owners in parliament

In 2016, property firm AEW UK evicted the rink operator, a community group, over unpaid rent, provoking a series of protest rallies.

In 2021, Mr Seely told the House of Commons the firm were "white-collar bully-boys" who were hoping to "sweat the council to allow a change of use" for the site.

Mr Seely said he was "delighted" by the distillery plan, which he said was "good news for Ryde".

The MP added: "I thought the previous owners were appalling. They sat on the property for years and did nothing with it."

Isle of Wight Distillery said its new visitor centre would be similar to the Bombay Sapphire site in Whitchurch, Hampshire

AEW previously said it had a "duty to act responsibly with our clients' capital" and negotiations had shown that no party was able to reopen the ice rink.

In 2019, the council approved plans for a new ice rink and sports centre next to Smallbrook Stadium. However, the facility has not yet been built.

The distillery said its plan, including a visitor centre, bar and restaurant, was a "one-off opportunity" to regenerate the building after its "emotive" closure.

It said it hoped to triple its production at the site and create up to 100 jobs.

The scheme would require a change from the site's designation as a venue for local community use including recreation and small shops.

No date has been set yet for council planners to make a decision.

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