The plans were approved by South Gloucestershire Council today
15:18, 06 Apr 2017Updated 16:27, 06 Apr 2017
Artist's impression of ice rink which is planned for Cribbs Causeway(Image: )
Skating fans can start lacing up their boots in anticipation, as developers say a new ice rink will open on the outskirts of Bristol by the end of next year.
Plans to build the Planet Ice and iFly activity centre near The Mall in Cribbs Causeway have been formally approved by South Gloucestershire Council.
The development, which will cover almost two football pitches worth of land off Merlin Road, will include an ice rink, ski slope and indoor sky-diving centre alongside a drive-thru coffee shop, restaurant, retail space, hotel, car showroom and car park.
The ice rink will be the first in the greater Bristol region since the site on Frogmore Street was closed in 2012.
READ MORE: Legendary city centre bar closes due to noise constraintsThe new rink will become home to Bristol’s ice hockey team, the Bristol Pitbulls, alongside running public sessions for skaters of all ages and abilities.
The scale of the plans requires the development to be referred to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Sajid Javid.
Mr Javid has 21 days to decide if the proposal should be called in to Government or approved.
The developers say that the ice rink will open in 2018(Image: )
But if it is successfully passed, developer Baylis Estates has told the Bristol Post that sports enthusiasts will not have long to wait.
Director of Baylis Estates, David Mace, said: “We are delighted that South Gloucestershire Council members have unanimously voted to support their officers’ recommendation to grant planning permission for our proposals for the Merlin Road site.
He added: “We will hope to open next year.”
Baylis Estates estimate that the development will create 120 construction jobs and 240 permanent jobs.
Building will take place in two phases with the ice rink, ski-plex, sky diving centre, coffee drive thru and first car park built initially, followed by the hotel, retail space, car showroom and further car park developed during phase two.
While the ice rink plans were unanimously voted in, several councillors questioned the propriety of including a car showroom in the plan.
However Mr Mace and planning officers say that such businesses are vital to the sustainability of the project.
Mr Mace said: “Due to public sector cutbacks and lack of grant funding very few new ice rinks have been built in recent years and it remains operationally and financially challenging.
“Baylis Estates is however committed to making this new, regionally significant, ice rink a success and has partnered with industry leaders to make it happen.”
Councillors also raised concerns about potential congestion around Cribbs Causeway, but planning officers claim that new MetroBus routes and road upgrades will mitigate the increase in visitors.