Scottish ice rink saved in 'victory for people power'
The ice rink was to be replaced by a play area
A much-loved ice rink facility has been saved from closure in a “victory for people power”.
North Lanarkshire Council is no longer set to recommend the closure of the Time Capsule rink in Coatbridge, after more than 1,000 people responded to a consultation on plans to scrap the facility.
Under the plans proposed by North Lanarkshire Council, the rink would have been replaced by an “active” play area and additional fitness space.
Skaters held public demonstrations and launched a petition to save the rink, which opened in 1991.
Users including North Lanarkshire Figure Skating Club, hockey team Coatbridge Coyotes and synchronised skating club Starlight Synchro, which all train at the rink, had warned its loss would have a “profound impact” on young people in the area.
Councillor Adam Smith branded the decision “a victory for people power”.
He said: “The credit belongs first and foremost to the community, the clubs, the skaters, the families and every organisation that fought so hard to save the Time Capsule ice rink.”
He added: “This U-turn is welcome, but it must be more than a temporary retreat. The council now needs to give a clear commitment to the long-term sustainability of the ice rink, including proper investment, support for clubs and a plan to grow use of the facility.
“There should be no more threats to close the Time Capsule ice rink. The community has made its position absolutely clear and now deserves a firm guarantee that this valued facility has a secure future.”
MSP Fulton MacGregor lodged a motion with the Scottish Parliament hours before the council’s administration announced it would no longer look to close the rink.
He said: “The political consensus now very much reflects the huge strength of feeling in the community. The public have spoken and people power is winning the argument.”
He said authorities now need to look to investment and maximising the potential of the rink.
The Time Capsule is also home to a water park, which reopened last year after a £1.5 million refurbishment.
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