Ice arena is set for £1.1m investment

Plans are being put forward that would see Hull Ice Arena benefit from a £1.1m investment.

The improvements would deliver essential maintenance work to the arena, as well as ensure the building is Covid-19 compliant.

Councillor Daren Hale, portfolio holder for economic investment and regeneration, said: “The future of Hull’s ice provision lies at the Albion Square, with plans for an ice rink to sit in the heart of the £130m development.

“It is important however that, before then, residents have access to these facilities, which is why we want to deliver these £1.1m improvements.

“Hull Ice Arena is the region’s only Olympic-sized rink and is used by many local clubs and groups, as well as a semi-professional ice hockey team.

“It’s of tremendous valuable to people in the wider region, as well as Hull, and therefore it’s important that we get the arena open again as soon as possible.”

When Government restrictions were lifted on the opening of leisure and recreational facilities over the summer, a review was carried out on each individual council building to ascertain adaptations works required to ensure building Covid-19 compliance.

The review of the ice arena highlighted areas of concern. The refrigerant system that maintains the ice pad has suffered from leakages and the maintenance team, including specialist ice pad engineers, are unable to maintain the ice pad to a consistent standard to allow for skating activities.

Adaptations will also have to be made to the arena’s ventilation systems to mitigate against the potential airborne spread of Covid-19.

The arena hosts a semi-professional ice hockey club, Hull Pirates. The arena attracts 147,000 visitors per year.

The improvements are set to take place between March and July 2021.

During the planned nine-month closure period, staff will be allocated temporary alternative roles within Hull Culture and Leisure and/or Hull City Council.