Festive rink site safety worries

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Safety concerns are threatening the location of a Christmas ice rink attraction at Colwyn Bay.

The temporary rink is being erected at a location called Station Steps, which is above a tunnel carrying the A55.

The Welsh Assembly Government is asking for assurances that no objects will fall from the rink onto the road below.

Colwyn Bay town centre manager, Ingrid Lewis, promised the event would go ahead, even if they had to move the rink to a different location.

Work on the infrastructure for the rink has already begun with a large flowerbed being moved.

The 60ft x 40ft (18x12 metres) rink will be able to accommodate 60 skaters at a time and over 1,000 tickets have already been sold for the month-long event starting on 8 December.

Risk assessment

Colwyn Bay town council and the North Wales Events Commission have contributed £60,000 towards the cost of the rink which is being put up by a specialist company.

Ms Lewis said there was a site meeting with assembly government officials on Tuesday which was "positive".

"We are working closely with them on any risk assessment," she said.

"Principally they were worried that someone could throw something out of the rink over the wall onto the road below, but there are rules that skaters cannot carry anything, no mobile phone, no handbag, nothing with them on the ice.

"There was also concern that the roof of the ice rink could be blown off, but that would only happen if there was a freak of nature," she added.

The site is near Colwyn Bay railway station

Another concern she said was that by removing the flowerbed to make room for the rink, water could seep into the structure of the bridge which crosses the carriageway.

"Whatever happens this is definitely still going ahead, and we have a plan B if this site is ruled out," Ms Lewis added.

A Welsh Assembly Government spokesperson said: "Conwy County Borough Council and ourselves have asked the promoter of the ice rink to supply loading information so that safety checks can be undertaken.

"We await the information."