Christmas ice rink confirmed for next three years at Imperial Gardens in Cheltenham

Plans to set up a temporary ice rink in Cheltenham for the next three Christmas seasons have been approved.

Cheltenham Borough Council has granted itself permission to use Imperial Gardens for the next three years as a site for temporary structures including an ice rink.

However some residents are unhappy about the approved plans, and objections have been raised about the noisy generators used to power the rink.

Some have complained the noise is so bad they have had to use earplugs while others have had to sleep in different rooms.

Others have expressed concerns the ice rink would lead to unsightly damage to the grass lawn.

Peter Grimley had called on councillors to reject the scheme saying it would contribute to air pollution.

He said: "It fails to recognise the limitation of biofuels used for the generators. It also harms the conservation area as it would be in place for 145 days."

Planners say the generators will no longer be used after this year as they hope to connect the temporary facility to the power grid.

Overall councillors felt the plans had more benefits than drawbacks as last year’s event saw more than 43,000 people use the ice rink.

Lib Dem Councillor Bernie Fisher said the rink would be better at Montpellier Gardens.

Chairman Paul Baker said it was a difficult proposal for councillors but said the benefits outweighed the negative aspects.

He proposed amending the proposals and approving the scheme. He said: “What we are concerned about is the environmental issues. It’s a balanced decision."

Officers said a condition would be included to restrict the use of generators after this year.

Seven councillors voted in favour of approving the plans and two against.