Development of the new indoor ice rink at Cribbs Causeway has been confirmed, with contracts now exchanged between operator Planet Ice and development company Baylis Estates.
Planet Ice is the UK’s largest ice rink operator with 13 locations around the country, with its latest venue due to open in Leeds later this year. Bristol will be its 15th ice rink, providing international standard skating facilities together with 1300 capacity seating, designed to accommodate a range of ice related activities and sports. It is hoped that the new ice rink will become the new home for the Bristol Ice Hockey Team – The Bristol Pitbulls – who currently have to travel to Oxford for their home games.
Planet Ice has taken a 25-year lease from Baylis Estates; Beard Construction has been appointed as main building contractor, and The Ice Rink Company for the fit out.
David Mace, managing director of Baylis Estates says, “Allowing for construction of the 45,000 sq ft building and fitting out by Planet Ice, we expect the new ice rink to open for business in early 2021.
With contracts exchanged, we are beginning infrastructure preparations at the site prior to construction work starting early in the New Year.”
“This is a multi-million investment that will provide a much-needed replacement for Bristol’s former ice rink in Frogmore Street which closed in 2012, to make way for student accommodation. It will complement an already impressive array of neighbouring leisure activities at Cribbs Causeway including Hollywood Bowl and the Vue Cinema on the adjacent Venue Leisure Park as well as Air Hop, Wild Place, and The Wave surfing lagoon close by. Exciting plans for Bristol’s Arena on YTL’s adjoining Brabazon site are also due to be submitted shortly.”
Heath Rhodes, Chief Operating Officer of the brand Planet Ice, the UK’s no 1 operator of ice rinks, adds, “Bristol has been without an ice rink for too long, and we’re looking forward to bringing Planet Ice to Cribbs Causeway. We already serve an amazing 2.5 million customers a year in the UK, and this new location reflects our ambitious plans to continue our growth both here and overseas.”
Planet Ice will be located on land south of Merlin Road, Cribbs Causeway at the Venue Leisure Park, adjacent to a new Jaguar Land Rover Showroom, and Costa Coffee Drive-Thru, both currently under construction.
