Rink closure leaves skaters in the cold

Customers who paid deposits for parties and skating lessons at Cleveleys Ice Arena have been told they won’t get their money back.
Cleveleys  Ice Arena trustees Darren Gothard with Paul Ashton when it reopened in FebruaryCleveleys  Ice Arena trustees Darren Gothard with Paul Ashton when it reopened in February
Cleveleys Ice Arena trustees Darren Gothard with Paul Ashton when it reopened in February

The trustee-owned venue closed suddenly citing the need for ‘essential maintenance’.

But in a statement, an insolvency firm said it had been instructed to put the companyinto liquidation.

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Blackpool-based Adcroft Hilton said those who put down deposits face ‘no prospect’ of a refund and should contact their banks if they paid by debit or credit card.

The closure noticeThe closure notice
The closure notice

Insolvency practitioner Rosalind Hilton said: “It is a shame when a local leisure facility, run mostly by volunteers, has to shut, but there simply wasn’t enough people using the Ice Arena.”

In a statement published online before the statement from Adcroft Hilton, management at the arena said: “The trustees of Cleveleys Ice Arena have had to close to the public for essential maintenance works to be carried out. All sessions are cancelled until further notice.

“The arena will remain closed pending decisions on the maintenance issues. We do not have a timescale for this but I can announce the Christmas show has been cancelled.”

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One woman, who had booked the venue for a 21st birthday party, said she was told to call Adcroft Hilton after paying £100 deposit.

Cleveleys Ice ArenaCleveleys Ice Arena
Cleveleys Ice Arena

She said: “They are looking at the assets and we are on the list, but it doesn’t look like we will be getting anything. They could have said sorry.”

Others left angry messages on the arena’s Facebook page, which was mysteriously removed yesterday. Karen Jones said: “Common courtesy would have been to let people know and give them an explanation.”

Nobody at the arena could be reached yesterday for comment.

‘Cost of keeping ice cool the cause of rink’s strife’

The latest closure of Cleveleys’ ice rink has been blamed on the cost of keeping the ice cold.

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Adcroft Hilton, brought in to liquidate the charitable trust behind the Cleveleys Ice Arena, said the venue’s overhead costs were too high and it closed at the end of October after a search for a buyer ended in failure.

In the statement, Rosalind Hilton said: “Obviously, it costs a lot to keep open due to the costs of keeping the ice at a constant temperature to maintain the surface.”

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