PLANS to give Oxford Ice Rink a major facelift will be the centrepiece of a package to improve the city’s leisure facilities.

Major improvements are being lined up for the first floor, entrance and foyer, as well as the reception and cafe.

A new multi-purpose meeting place is also proposed, with improvements to the outside decor of the centre in Oxpens.

The rink had a £700,000 overhaul at the end of last year in a bid to secure its long-term future.

But proposals for a new phase of work went before councillors on Oxford City Council’s executive board on Wednesday night.

They were put forward as part of a leisure strategy outlined by Fusion Lifestyle, the not-for-profit company that has been running the city’s leisure centres on behalf of the local authority since 2009.

The report said: “Fusion is confident the ice rink has significant potential and represents a great opportunity as a fundamental part of the city’s high quality leisure portfolio.”

The poor condition of the 27-year-old centre led to calls for its closure from Town Hall Liberal Democrats, who believed it was beyond saving.

The centre closed last November for more than a month to allow its chiller unit to be replaced, shower and changing areas to be improved and new boilers installed. A replacement rink barrier and rubber matting were also part of the project.

Liberal Democrat group leader Stephen Brown last year accused the Labour-controlled council of short-sightedness, claiming the work was a “sticking plaster job”, that would allow the rink to continue for only a decade.

The Liberal Democrats wanted a new ice rink built as part of a pool complex for Blackbird Leys.

Fusion spokesman Steve Lee said it was too early to reveal details about costings or when the work would be completed. It will be part of the second phase of Fusion’s plans to improve many of Oxford’s leisure centres.

The package also includes plans for more exercise studio space and improvements to Ferry Leisure Centre. An indoor spin cycling facility is proposed at Barton Leisure Centre, with proposals to resurface the outdoor tennis courts at Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre to enable multi-use activity including football.

Plans are also well advanced to create a modern eight-lane 25m pool, next to Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre, costing up to £9.2m.