Thank you to everyone who showed up last night in support of our rink and the campaign for temporary ice. It means so much to see the community stand together, even when the odds seem stacked against us. Unfortunately, the council meeting unfolded much as we expected – the administration continues to provide hollow promises of support.
What happened? The motion brought forward wasn’t asking for a decision on building the temporary rink right then and there – it was simply to request that the Council’s Cabinet make a decision soon. Yet, the Council’s leadership acted as though we were asking them to approve the building of the rink on the spot. This confusion speaks volumes about how little urgency they feel towards addressing our community’s concerns.
This isn’t the first time we’ve had to deal with empty words. Nearly 10 years ago, we were raising awareness about rink issues, guided by Liberal Democrat Councillor Ron Hussey. Fast-forward to now, and we’re still battling the same indifference from Basingstoke’s leaders.
The cost of a temporary rink, £2 million, was thrown around last night, but let’s be clear: that figure is from an incomplete report. The Council’s administration has consistently delayed producing a complete report for review by the Residents’ Services Committee. Where is the finished report?
And then we heard Councillor Harvey mention that Planet Ice believes some users could be back on the ice within four months of the rink closing. It’s hard to believe this timeline given how long it’s already taken to get to this point. Fiscal responsibility was a hot topic too. Yet, how can an administration planning to spend £20 million of our reserves on a swimming pool be taken seriously when it comes to fiscal caution?
What’s at stake? Let’s not sugarcoat it: the future of ice sports in Basingstoke is hanging by a thread. All hockey development in the area is at risk of vanishing. The Council seems to have a mindset that any money spent on ice sports would simply be supporting a private company (Planet Ice), and so they’ve done nothing to help us. But what they fail to see is that it’s not about the company – it’s about the people. It’s about our community, our children, and the legacy of ice sports that has been neglected for nearly 25 years.
Our Council sold the rink to Planet Ice and walked away, leaving a thriving ice sports community to fend for itself. Now they claim to support us, but all they’ve delivered is the same tired excuse: “It’s still in legal.” How many times do we have to hear that before real action is taken?
Council Vote Breakdown Last night’s vote fell along party lines. All Lib Dems, Independents, and Women’s Equality Party members voted “No” to supporting the rink. Labour and Conservative members (bar one) voted “Yes”. Notably, two Green Party members and one Conservative abstained. Check how your local councillor voted and compare that with their promises to support the rink during election season.
No Votes:
Councillor Chloe Ashfield (BDI Group)- [email protected]
Councillor Paul Basham (BDI Group) – [email protected]
Councillor Mike Bound (LibDem) – [email protected]
Councillor Andrea Bowes (LibDem) – [email protected]
Councillor Kevin Chatburn (LibDem) – [email protected]
Councillor David Conquest (LibDem) – [email protected]
Councillor Tony Durrant (BDI Group) – [email protected]
Councillor Sheena Grassi (Ind) – [email protected]
Councillor Stacy Hart (Womens Equality Party) – [email protected]
Councillor Paul Harvey (BDI Group) – [email protected]
Councillor Ronald Hussey (LibDem) – [email protected]
Councillor Gavin James (LibDem) – [email protected]
Councillor Laura James (BDI Group) – [email protected]
Councillor Androulla Johnstone (LibDem) – [email protected]
Councillor Julian Jones (BDI Group) – [email protected]
What’s next? Despite these setbacks, we’re not giving up. The lease for the rink is being reassigned, and various covenants are being put in place to guarantee that repairs will happen. But the transparency we’ve been promised is still missing. We’re waiting for a clear communication plan, as outlined in the Council’s report, to be implemented. The community deserves to know what’s going on – and so far, we’ve been kept in the dark.
Support from Labour MP Labour MP Luke Murphy has expressed his disappointment in the Council’s decision to avoid investing in a temporary rink, writing to the leader of the Council to push for a solution that works for everyone. We appreciate his support in fighting for what our community needs.
In Conclusion, The battle to keep ice in Basingstoke continues. We remain committed to holding our leaders accountable and pushing for the temporary rink that this community deserves. For too long, ice sports have been overlooked in this borough, but we won’t let that be the final word.
As a reminder, please stay involved and stay vocal. Your presence and participation make a difference, and together, we’ll continue to fight for the future of ice sports in Basingstoke.
#KeepIceInBasingstoke
#BasingstokeNeverDies
