Keith Halstead says the plans for the Arctic Village are a “nail in the coffin” for Fort Regent and that the place will be “dead” this year now he’s announced he won’t be opening his rink.
He had planned to open for the seventh year running, on December 9th – an 800m2 rink made of real ice 100mm thick and chilled to -5.6%, and had organised for a professional ice skating coach to come over again to give one-on-one and group lessons.
But yesterday Mr Halstead announced he wouldn’t be opening his rink because the Island is too small to sustain two ice rinks during the festive period. He said he was never asked to bring it closer to town and his rink wouldn’t fit into the footprint of the Weybridge.
He said: “We have had no dialect with the constable, any parish officials or the JDC.
“Our ice rink is already in Jersey and they are undermining the footfall going up to Fort Regent.
“The States of Jersey have never given us any funding, we can run it at no cost to the taxpayer. We own the skates, everything….We don’t have to bring anything in to Jersey apart from the refrigeration plant.
“I’m saddened and I think there should be a political way to make that happen. Nobody has taken on board the detrimental effect to Fort Regent, all of their concessions, the staff up there. It’s like a nail in the coffin for them. Fort Regent will be dead over this period of time.”
Just weeks ago it was announced that there were big plans to bring an ‘Arctic village’ to the Weighbridge this Christmas. The idea, supported by the Jersey Development Company, the Parish of St Helier, the Retail Development Group and the Chamber of Commerce, is to transform the area during the six-week Fête de Noué period into a winter wonderland replete with an ice rink, German eaterie, Santa’s grotto and a giant snow globe.
Constable Simon Crowcroft said that Ice Skate Jersey had been asked if they wanted to run the rink in town again but when they declined and he thought the two attractions would be able to run side by side.
He said: “These are different events as the ice rink at the Fort is clearly an ice rink, this is a whole collection of winter themed activities so I was quite relaxed about the two going side by side. I think there was enough demand for two activities.
“The Arctic Village is all about retail theatre, there will be 14 stalls, all local retailers.
“It’s what the town expects, they expect us to do stuff at the Weighbridge at Christmas. Narnia was successful and I expect this to be even more so.
“It would be sad if he decided to pull his event as he can offer a larger ice skating area, it’s different.”
Constable Crowcroft said the village will provide what everyone expects to find in every town centre during the festive period.
David Elliott, of the Retail Development Group, said: “A number of retailers felt that the relocation of the ice rink away from the town centre effectively ‘relocated’ a number of their customers too. A town centre based ice rink attracts both skaters and spectators and very effectively adds to the seasonal atmosphere at this crucially important time of the year for retailers. Retail Theatre is very important in attracting customers into town, the Ice Rink is a good example of this.”
But Mr Halstead argues people come to skate, not to shop.
He said: “All of the kids who skate and that can be as high as 70%, will buy what they want in town, when they want it.
“Ice skating is a sporting activity, not a shopping experience. They are depriving something to children. We are geared up specifically for kids, affordable skating for children and teenagers. And that’s it, it was a sad day for Fort Regent. The staff up there are utterly gutted.”