USERS of Basingstoke’s ice rink will hope to have worries about its future put at ease tonight.

Amid concerns about the current condition and the future of the Planet Ice-run facility in the Leisure Park, Basingstoke Bison fans and rink users had called for Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to step in.

The Ice Rink Users Forum have rallied supporters to attend tonight's community environment and partnerships committee meeting at the Civic Offices, in London Road, to show how vital the facility is to people.

Planet Ice has said with deterioration of the venue it does not see a long-term future for the arena.

With an agreement of a £300 million redevelopment of the Leisure Park in place, members of the forum believe some of that money should be put towards securing the ice rink which is developing major structural issues.

The borough council and NewRiver, which will deliver the new park development, have said they are looking into the prospect of making sure an ice rink remains in the town but would been to find a suitable operator for the site.

Meanwhile, a meeting report suggested a cash injection to aid the short-term future of the rink would come from the landlord of the site.

In a report due to be presented, communities cabinet councillor Simon Bound said: “The successful Basingstoke Bison ice hockey team and ice rink make a valued contribution to the sporting life of the borough. We benefit from facilities and teams in a range of different sports - this is part of why we have a reputation for high quality leisure.

"The ice rink has been part of the life of Basingstoke for the last three decades. This is why the agreement with NewRiver includes the requirement to put together a proposal for the development of a new ice rink, subject to a suitable operator, who is able to make it economically viable to run being found, and there being demand for it.

"But I can totally appreciate the concerns of the fans that a solution is found that will keep the ice rink functioning as the venue for their team in the interim.

"I’m sure that they will also appreciate that both the team and the rink are run on a commercial basis by Planet Ice, a private company, and that it would be hard for the council to justify subsidising this to benefit a private business at public expense.

“The council has been working with the existing owner, the long leaseholder Standard Securities, and Planet Ice to focus on practical ways to keep the rink open in the short term. I’m pleased that a solution appears to have been found to do this while the longer-term options are investigated.”