Plea to make ice rink listed building

6:00am Saturday 4th August 2007

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Moves are afoot to register Oxford ice rink as a listed building in a bid to save it from the bulldozers.

Oxford City Council wants to knock down the 1980s concrete structure in Oxpens Road to help pay for a multi-million pound "super leisure centre" on the edge of the city.

But last night, Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society said it would lobby English Heritage to have the building listed. It comes after Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, president of the Royal Academy and the man who designed the rink, urged planners not to knock it down.

A Save Oxford Ice Rink campaign group has also been formed. David Clark, chairman of Oxfordshire Architectural and Historical Society said: "The society believes it is the best and most innovative modern building in Oxford and fully deserves to be listed for its design and technological innovation.

"It is also a highly fitting structure for its site - near the river with a ship-like presence."

But city leisure chiefs said the rink - known as 'Cutty Sark' because it was designed to look like a tall ship when it opened in 1984 - is past its sell-by date.

The plan is to demolish the facility, as well as Temple Cowley Pool, to finance a £20m leisure centre featuring flumes, wave machine and a skate park at a location yet to be finalised. Sir Nicholas's said he was "very upset" to hear his building could be lost to the wrecking ball.

He added: "The answer would be to build a leisure pool next to the Ice Rink to make use of the waste heat generated by the cooling plant."

Listing a building ensures the architectural and historic interests of the structure are considered before any alterations are made. Last month city councillors agreed a £350,000 repair package to keep the ice rink and Temple Cowley Pool open for the foreseeable future. Graham Jones, chairman of Rescue Oxford and a city councillor at the time the ice rink was approved, said: "In many ways it is iconic because Oxpens Road is fairly tedious."

Michael Talbot, historian and archivist for Oxford University Ice Hockey Club, said: "Councils seem to be very good at tearing things down but less good at stumping up the cash and commitment for new facilities.

"For various reasons, councils in Southampton and Brighton promised new ice rinks when closing their existing ones - but all failed to deliver."

WHAT YOU THINK...Oxford Ice Rink - Eyesore or Icon?

Charmaine Austin, 26, of Iffley Road, said: "I do not think it's an eyesore, I like it. I've been going there since I was a kid, so to me it's definitely an icon."

Adele Cavey, 13, of Kidlington, said: "I do not think they should knock it down, everyone likes it. I do not think it's ugly or an eyesore."

Kristen Jones, 30, of North Oxford, said: "It is certainly an interesting building... I wouldn't say it's 'iconic', but I think having an ice rink in the centre of town is probably an asset to the community."

Josh Whidborne, 17, of Wheatley, said: "I think it would be a waste if they knocked it down. But it's all about the skating for me. It doesn't matter what the building looks like, as long as we have somewhere to skate."

Katie Richardson, 12, of Wolvercote, said: "I don't think it matters if it's an eyesore or not, it's superficial to care about what the building looks like, it's all about the facilities and they are very good."

Paul Hayday, 27, of Summertown, said: "It is a bit of an eyesore, isn't it?! I think it definitely needs refurbishing of some kind, it's not very impressive. So perhaps knocking it down and building some new facilities is a good idea."