Popular Ice Rink will return this Christmas.

Buckinghamshire Council recommended that the Chiltern View Nurseries temporary planning permission for an Ice Rink should be refused. However, nine out of the eleven Councillors on the Planning Committee voted in favour.

Council planning officers wanted the planning permission for the temporary Ice Rink over Christmas to be rejected.

The application sought temporary planning permission from 23rd  November to the 31st December 2023, for use of part of the building on site as an ice rink. 

However the committee were informed that 'the lawful nursery building on site has been extended significantly in breach of planning control, the lawful nursery car park area has been extended significantly in breach of planning control and the wider Chiltern View Nurseries site is in use as garden centre in breach of planning control. The Council has, most recently in November 2022, issued several enforcement notices in respect of the unauthorised uses and development undertaken at the site.' 

'Notwithstanding the proposed location of the ice rink within the ‘lawful’ part of the building, the grant of planning permission even for a temporary period would mean that, pursuant to section 180 of The Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the enforcement notice that the Council has issued in respect of the use of the site for leisure purposes will cease to have effect, as it would be inconsistent with that permission. Therefore this Notice will entirely fall away. Grantng this application would also undermine the Council’s position in respect of the enforcement notices pertaining to the unauthorised garden centre use and the unauthorised extensions to the building and car park as part of that unauthorised use. The enforcement notices have been appealed and officers are confident that the appeals will be dismissed. However, in the event planning permission is granted at this juncture for the use as proposed, the appeal in respect of the ice rink use could not proceed as the Enforcement Notice would cease to have effect.'

However, despite this Councillors voted in favour of the planning permission.

Councillor Michael Rand, Chairman of the Central Buckinghamshire Planning Committee said:
"The Committee has weighed up the application and recognised the strong local support for the ice rink and the community benefits it brings. The Committee listened carefully to all representations and a decision was taken to defer and delegate to officers for approval, subject to conditions to be determined in consultation with the Planning Committee Chairman."

Full details here:

Watch the Central Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee here: