Twin Olympic-sized ice rinks at new facility expected to attract half-a-million yearly visitors and boost local economy by £1.5m, report Marion Willingham and James Cracknell
The long-awaited new Lee Valley Ice Centre building is set to open to the public for the first time on Saturday (17th) – amid a planned protest over its environmental impact.
Four years after the new facility in Lea Bridge Road was first announced, ice skaters and other users will be able to begin using its twin rinks as well as a gym, exercise studio and café. On opening day, visitors can skate for only £1.
Olympic gold medallist and former Dancing on Ice judge Robin Cousins visited the centre on Wednesday (14th) for a special event prior to tomorrow’s public opening. He said: “I skated at the opening gala of the old Lee Valley Ice Centre in 1984. It’s fantastic to see that journey continue with this stunning new state of the art space – the perfect place to launch Skate UK, our new national learn-to-skate programme.
“Having these two Olympic-size rinks in London is a game-changer.”
The new ice centre is owned by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA). The original cost of the facility was cited as £30million but is now thought to be closer to £40m as construction costs have risen. Two years ago Waltham Forest Council agreed to contribute £1m itself to ensure it could be completed.
After opening the facility is expected to boost the local economy by as much as £1.5m annually and attract half-a- million visitors a year, double that of the old Lee Valley Ice Centre, which could not cope with demand.
Shaun Dawson, chief executive of LVRPA, said: “The stunning new Lee Valley Ice Centre replaces our much-loved old venue which had, for 37 years, provided a wonderful place for people of all ages, especially young people, to meet, socialise and stay active.
“At a time when many sport and leisure facilities across the country are at risk of closure, I’m so proud that we have gone beyond simply protecting the old centre, to have instead more than doubled the capacity and created a truly inspirational venue.”
Grace Williams, leader of Waltham Forest Council, added: “It is going to be absolutely fantastic having such a world-class venue in our borough […] The venue is going to become a focal point for so many people, with the council helping fund a range of community-based programmes working with young people and a whole host of different local groups.”
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The new ice centre has not been without controversy, however, as it is almost double the size of the previous centre and encroaches on protected marshland which boasts a variety of species, including hedgehogs.
Wildlife campaigners are now planning to protest at Saturday’s opening, citing concerns about how the development has impacted habitats.
The Save Lea Marshes group will gather at the ice centre car park at 10.30am demanding that the nearby Oxbow Island be closed to the public. The campaigners claim LVRPA opened the island to the public as an extension of the ice centre’s café, putting wildlife at risk. They say that the ice rink project itself, which began construction in 2021, has been rife with “greenwashing” and habitat destruction.
Caroline Day, from Save Lea Marshes, said: “It’s one thing to do things for your own objective that actually harm wildlife, but then to say you’re doing it for the good of wildlife is taking it a step beyond what is palatable.”
LVRPA maintains that the work on Oxbow Island is unrelated to the ice centre project, and that it is merely formalising an existing access route to the island. It says this work is to dissuade anti-social behaviour and protect wildlife.
The campaigners claim that the work has taken place during the swans’ nesting season, and even destroyed their nest, though LVRPA denies this.
Local resident Ian Phillips, who creates grass snake habitats, found that since construction of the ice centre began a group of snakes he had recorded by the ice centre moved further north than he has seen in ten years of observing the species.
In order to justify developing on protected Metropolitan Open Land, LVRPA asserted that the ice centre development would produce a “biodiversity net gain” despite the clearing of plants from an important wildlife corridor to make way for the large building.
The ice centre project includes £1.5m of landscape and environmental initiatives, with new ponds, 171 new trees, bat boxes and invertebrate hotels introduced.
Ian said: “You can’t just flick a switch and have new habitat that just appears and works and functions in the same way as established habitat.”
An LVRPA spokesperson said: “It will of course take time for these habitats to mature but the area will become a more biodiverse site.”
Regular skating prices at Lee Valley Ice Centre are £10 for adults and £8 for under-18s. Skate hire is £3. For bookings and more information, including gym and exercise classes:
Visit better.org.uk/ice-centre
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