HOPES of building an ice rink in Bournemouth town centre have been revived by the new Conservative administration - even though it may delay existing plans.

Under the Liberal Democrats, councillors made the provision of a permanent ice rink a top priority and the plan was to build this at Kings Park.

Negotiations were conducted with the Charity Commission and it was anticipated an ice rink would open to the public in 2008.

But when the Conservatives took control, they decided the ice rink should be part of the town centre master vision - the council's strategic plan for the town centre - which means its location is up in the air once again.

The ice rink proposals will be discussed at cabinet on October 10 but Cllr John Beesley, the new cabinet member for resources, admits it is unlikely the 2008 timeframe will be met.

He said: "If we were to go ahead too quickly we might find we might prejudice something bigger and better in terms of a family attraction in the future.

"There's no lack of commitment to doing everything we can to provide an ice facility in Bournemouth.

"But I don't think we should go ahead because somebody has set an unrealistic timetable. Our whole approach to all-weather family attractions in Bournemouth has moved on. It's different to that which existed before the election.

"I'm pretty confident we could end up with a facility that could be viable. It's just a question of the private sector deciding when and where that facility should be."

Independent Cllr Ron Whittaker, who made the original move that an ice rink should be the council's top leisure priority, said Bournemouth did not want to wait any longer for an ice rink.

"We have spent the last two or more years negotiating with the Charity Commission and an interested developer about Kings Park," he said.

"If they are looking elsewhere, that's fine, but time is of the essence. My concern is if they call that off, what reassurance will the public have that we're going to have permanent ice skating facilities in Bournemouth?

"How many more years will we have to wait?"