Keep Streatham Skating!

Tesco PLC purchased the site where Streatham Ice Rink is currently situated in 2000. In June 2001 the retailer published plans to demolish the Ice Rink – these were abandoned following strong opposition from local user groups, community and voluntary organisations.

Revised proposals were approved by Lambeth Council in February 2003 with a Section 106 Agreement associated with the scheme - which has become known as the “Streatham Hub” - being concluded between the Council and Tesco in 2007.

The Streatham Hub development will provide a new ice rink complex, other leisure facilities, a new supermarket and affordable housing for the Streatham area. There will also be a new transport hub linking road and rail, all of which will help to revitalise the south of Streatham.

** Latest news **

Lambeth Council has now been working with Tesco for over half a decade to deliver the Streatham Hub scheme but final plans are still to be agreed. In September 2009 Tesco submitted new proposals to the Council, citing the “Credit Crunch” and economic downturn as the reasons necessitating a revision of the 2007 proposals.

A public meeting was organized and held on 8 October 2009 by local community group, Streatham Action, to update residents on the most recent developments. At that meeting both Lambeth Council and Tesco representatives restated their commitment to complete the scheme.

However, whilst Tesco – the owner of the ice rink – assured those present they were committed to the long term delivery of a new ice rink complex, they would not guarantee continuity of Streatham’s ice rink provision pending the completion of the scheme and the building of a new ice rink complex.

** Sign the “Keep Streatham Skating!” petition **

Streatham Ice Rink is one of very few permanent ice arenas in London and home to the famous Streatham Redskins ice hockey club. It is a major part of Streatham life and it is essential it is kept open pending the development and building of a Streatham’s new ice rink complex.

Tesco announced record breaking sales of more than £1bn a week and annual profits of more than £3bn in 2009, despite the impact of the global downturn. It has the resource to keep Streatham skating whilst it develops the Hub site, if it wants to. Tesco will be reporting back to local people – Tesco’s prospective supermarket customers - in December 2009 on the results of its talks with Lambeth Council on the retailer’s revised plans for the site.

To show your support to Keep Streatham Skating and show Tesco the strength of feeling about this issue in our community, please sign up to this petition.