TODAY BLACKPOOL Aloud has the pleasure of talking with Kenny Hanson and Greig Appleby, Directors of the new ice skating rink being built on Cleveleys Promenade which will be known as the Sub Zero Ice Arena.
Kenny and Greig, tell us about yourself?:
Kenny:
I used to be a Ice Hockey Player, a skater for five seasons at HotIce at the Pleasure Beach and toured the world as a skater with lots of Ice shows over the years. I’m also a gymnastic coach and trampoline coach as well as being involved for 15 years with nightclubs, so ice and entertainment have always overlapped for me.
Greig:
I’m been involved in business within the Fylde Coast for a long time and I run an IT company called Rainbow Systems which specialises in IT solutions throughout the Fylde Coast. My parents ran a building firm and I have several friends in the Ice skating world, I saw a demand for an Ice Skating arena on the Fylde Coast as outside the Pleasure Beach the nearest icerink is in Blackburn.
Greig and Kenny, you have touched on why you are opening the Ice Rink, what other reasons made you want to open such a venue?
Kenny:
Alot of people who want to skate have go to the rink in Blackburn, in addition the Pleasure Beach skating rink is smaller than then required 36 meter length to be in an Ice Hockey League, where as our Ice Rink will be 36 meters by 22 meters. This will allow us to establish a junior and a senior Ice Skating team which will represent the area in a league competition as well as allowing people to skate on a large rink.
Have you had many enquiries from people to join a team?
Kenny:
Yes, lots of people have been getting in contact already asking when they can join, our plan is to establish a league team after twelve months but in the mean time allow people to train as a team and people of all abilities are welcome.
What are your plans for the building itself?
Kenny:
The building will have two floors and the ground floor will contain the ice rink, toilets and a shop, as well as changing rooms.. The first floor will contain seating for spectators and a bar over looking the ice rink.
When do you plan to open?
Greig:
Work started last week and we are aiming to be open by the end of the year.
What made you decide that this building was right for the Ice Skating rink?
Greig:
We had two buildings in mind but the regeneration work on the promenade in Cleveleys made us choose this building because our Ice Rink will enhance the regeneration of Cleveleys Sea Front as people will travel to come here.
Finally gentlemen, what other things would you like to see happen to the area?
Kenny:
I would like to see the Junction at Little Bispham open as soon as possible as we are expecting 1500 to 2000 non Cleveleys residents coming to the rink and those sorts of numbers need to get here through that entrance as the roads around Victoria Way and Lidl are congested.
Greig:
I would like to see Wyre Borough Council get behind us and help promote Cleveleys more with sign posts from the M55 listing our Ice Skating rink just as some Blackpool signs do with the Pleasure Beach’s ice rink.
Gentlemen thank you so much for taking the time to talk to the readers of Blackpool Aloud, anyone wishing to join their Facebook page with all their exciting news and project updates needs to join the Cleveleys Icerink page on Facebook.
Blackpool Aloud will keep you posted of all the developments from this very exciting project and will be bringing you all the updates and news as they happen between now and when it opens.
Good article and well done these guys. I note:
“I would like to see the Junction at Little Bispham open as soon as possible as we are expecting 1500 to 2000 non Cleveleys residents coming to the rink and those sorts of numbers need to get here through that entrance as the roads around Victoria Way and Lidl are congested.”
This is the bane of our area,our council are doing nothing about sorting the roads and are congesting them, which is making life difficult for guys like these.The director of planning, Gary Payne is obsessed with massive housing developments and not using the 106 provision to obtain money to expand the junctions on the A585, as his the Area Action Plan dictates.
Why??
A brilliant development which could be just what Cleveleys needs on the leisure front. The Vue cinema complex is brilliant, however the Ice Rink brings soomething else to the town. I’m glad Blackburn’s Ice Arena has somewhat inspired the new development, because it is an excellent building for the space it occupies, and has all the necessary facilities such as the Skate Shop and Hire, a Cafe and a Terrace bar, whilst hosting the local side Blackburn Hawks. I wish Kenny and Greig every success with Sub Zero, and hope to visit within the first few weeks of the rink opening. (I’m all too regular at Blackburn Arena you see!)
Nice one Adam, I had completely forgotten about your Blackburn routes, but yes you should be very proud of Blackburn because I’m sure it’s been a source of inspiration. I’m sure in the future Blackburn verses the Fylde Coast ice hockey matches will be one to watch.
I agree Adam but whilst we have a council that is determined to undermine the road infrastructure and do nothing about the A585,this development will not be able to realise its true potential, as visitors will be put off by congestion.Much can be said about other and future investments in Wyre,God knows why WBC are detemined to keep building maases of houses,wrecking any chances of regeneration.A destination town relies upon good transport links,and the only way in is via the A585,and the council have repteatedly failed to secure money from developers (despite its own plan (AAP) to do so!!!!), to widen the junctions of the A585.
Gary Payne has many questions to answer and must be brought to account, but who will do this?
Corruption?
Incompetence?
You decide!
fantastic news for clevleys,i cant wait for it too open so i can take my boys skating,this is just what clevleys needs,especially for the young people of clevleys,so thank youi was rather gutted last year when we found out it was going to be an ice rink,then were told it wasnt,and now youve come and taken it on,well done,im sure it will be a huge success.
i want it to open, im a big fan of ice skatin!
I want it to open, i love ice skating!
I haven’t heard any more news regarding the Ice Rink yet Bekka, but i’ll keep an eye out if I see anything.