Ayr ice rink to close as bosses blame 'unprecedented rise in energy costs'

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Ayr Ice Rink is to close its doors later this year after owners blamed an "unprecedented hike in energy costs" for the hammer blow.Announcing their decision tonight, Ayr Curling Club said they were faced with a rates rise of 110 per cent at the start of October - taking the average cost of daily electricity from £419 to £880.

This, they said, signalled the nail in the coffin for attempts to save ice sports in the town, with curlers insisting they have already plunged £153,000 into energy costs this year alone.Scores of member clubs and hundreds of young ice skaters who use the rink are now set to be left homeless following the devastating news.Liz Goldie, chair of Ayr Curling Club, said: "On a normal year we aim to just break even and therefore, this increase in our biggest operating cost means that we would have to generate more than £150,000 in additional income just to cover our energy costs never mind wage increases and inflationary increases on all the other expenses of running an ice rink."It simply cannot be done and so, with our expenditure going to exceed our income by c£75,000 in the current financial year and double that every year thereafter, we have no alternative other than to cease trading and to seek Members Voluntary Liquidation."Goldie said curling chiefs had explored options such as solar panels and wind turbines as alternatives sources of power, but had now run out of ice in their bid to stay solvent.

She also said talks with South Ayrshire Council over a potential new-build rink had broken down, claiming "their words turned out to be hollow."Ms Goldie added: "Unfortunately, there is no solution.