Coleraine Times, 30th August 2006
ICE ARENA TO OPEN NEXT YEAR
£2million investment in Rugby Avenue project will create up to 80 full and part-time jobs
Coleraine’s new ice arena will open before next year’s North West ‘200’, the developers behind the state-of-the-art project have revealed.
The 4,500-seater arena and ice-themed children’s centre – the first of its kind in Europe – will be built on a two-and-a-half acre site at Rugby Avenue on the outskirts of the town.
The £2million investment, by Warrior Ice Developments, Belfast, will create 30 to 40 full-time jobs and the equivalent in part-time jobs.
John Lyttle, of Ice Warriors Development Ltd, told the Times: “We have a lot to do yet but we hope to move forward very quickly. Subject to the usual planning permission we would hope to open before next year’s North West ‘200’. We have already been working with the planners and Roads Service about potential problems so we do not envisage any major delays.”
N-ICE ONE… Andy Gibson, Paul McGuigan and John Lyttle look over the plans at the Rugby Avenue site.
Speaking of the details of the project, Mr Lyttle said: “We will be building a 4,500-seater ice arena that will be able to stage ice-related activities such as ice-hockey, public skating and curling. The arena will also be able to stage shows and exhibitions which are currently being held in Belfast and we will hope to attract the top names to Coleraine. In the first year we will also be opening a snow-themed children’s play centre which is the first of its kind in Europe and will have ice-related activities.”
Last week, Coleraine Borough Council finally agreed a 99-year lease with the developers after discussions stemming back over two years. Mr Lyttle said: “We’ve been granted a lease with certain caveats which means that it will come under yearly review. We are very grateful to a number of councillors who have supported our project and helped us to move it on.”
Belfast man John Lyttle is chairman of the Northern Ireland Ice Hockey Federation and a director of Ice Hockey UK Ltd., the UK’s governing body.
It is with regret that we have to inform our fans that The Belfast Ice Warriors will not be joining the Findus British National League this season.
The decision has been taken by the Directors after careful deliberation of all the circumstances surrounding the sport in the U.K. at this time.
The Warriors are closely associated and indeed are an integral part of the amateur sport within Northern Ireland. Despite all our efforts certain elements, who are no friends of ice hockey, have worked tirelessly and spitefully to involve the team in the debate surrounding the affiliation of the so called Elite League and the financial problems of the Belfast Giants. Neither of these groups is, nor has ever been associated with the amateur sport in Northern Ireland and this continues to be the case.
We as an indigenous management team are acutely aware of our responsibilities to investors, sponsors and above all our fans. We do not believe therefore that it is either fiscally or professionally prudent to involve the Warriors in the uncertain tidal flow of the present professional hockey scene which in our view will not be settled until one league of whatever name is formed. Another major factor has been the ludicrous situation which presently pertains in Northern Ireland, that our own players cannot obtain ice time to play matches at any level. The Northern Ireland Recreational team has, to their credit, been forced to play their last three games away from home in England and Scotland and they were undefeated.
Our endeavours will therefore concentrate on providing a new home for the team and a centre of sporting excellence for the entire amateur sport. This does not mean that the Warriors will not be playing this season and we will be announcing shortly our plans in this sphere, which have a truly European dimension for both home and away. Future plans in this area will shortly be posted on this site and we are working in close consultation with our friends in the Irish Ice Hockey Association and other developing nations. Our team training will commence as scheduled in September 2003 at Dundonald International Ice Bowl.
Our contractual arrangements with Joe Stefan our coach have been honoured and Joe will be returning to the Province and will be leading the team when the new arena is opened to mould them for the 2004 season.
We would like to thank at this time all our sponsors and loyal supporters who are working with us to provide a stable platform for the sport at all levels within Northern Ireland. My fellow Directors and I can ensure all the Ice Hockey fraternity that any decision that will be made will be in the interests of the amateur sport and not for short sighted financial gain in the short term for commercial reasons on anyone’s behalf.
J. Lyttle
Managing Director
