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Surge of support for Dundee Ice Arena

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More than 1,000 people have signed a petition calling on the council to secure a future for Dundee Ice Arena.

The 2,300-seat rink is owned by the local authority and receives a £285,000 annual subsidy from taxpayers.

However, council officials have failed to file accounts on time and politicians are due to hold behind-closed-doors talks about the arena on Monday.

The Courier understands that the local authority could be about to cancel a huge debt owed by the venue.

A council source said: “They’re going to write off debt to the council in excess of £50,000 in order to make it look like a going concern before accounts are submitted.”

Dundee Ice Arena is the third largest rink in Scotland after the Braehead Arena and Fife Ice Arena. It is used for curling, skating and ice hockey and is home to Dundee CCS Stars, who play in the UK-wide Elite Ice Hockey League.

Concerned fan Dave Sweetin set up an online petition “Say NO to the closure of Dundee Ice Arena” after The Courier revealed that there are fears for the future of the facility.

He said: “As a Dundee CCS Stars fan, I am worried greatly for the future of the arena and believe that many people think the same, so I started an online petition and would like to send it the council prior to their meeting on Monday.

“My petition has only been online since lunchtime but has already attracted over 1,000 signatures and many people have made excellent comments on why they think the Dundee Ice Arena should remain open.”

Supporters have also set up a “Save Dundee Ice Arena” Facebook page, which has more than 600 supporters.

He added: “It’s heartwarming to see so many others care about the rink as much as we do. In the end we all love the sport and it would have a knock-on effect to see a rink like this be taken from us.”

As well as receiving a £285,000 hand-out from the council, the ice arena avoids paying rates because the trust that runs it was awarded charitable status for promoting “the advancement of health and public participation in sport”.

A member of the adult skating group, who asked not to be named, said: “Dundee Ice Arena is a wonderful facility and all forms of ice skating provide a wonderful way to exercise, relieve stress and make new friends.

“It is currently used as a training rink for national, world and Olympic-class skaters with high-quality coaches who provide skating lessons and opportunities not only for children but adult skaters.

“If the current marketing strategies are overhauled and management habits changed, then this could be a wonderful asset to the city.”

Council officials responsible for the arena were expected to file accounts for 2011/12 with Companies House and the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) before December 31 last year.

But the deadline wasn’t met and both bodies have written to the arena’s board of management to demand the release of the paperwork.

The Ice Arena could be removed from the charity register or face financial penalties and legal action if the documents are not provided.

A Dundee City Council spokesman said: “The board of Dundee Ice Arena has kept Companies House and OSCR informed of the delay in filing the accounts for 2011/12.

“It is anticipated that these will be finalised and submitted within the next two months.”