What should be done with the King Alfred?

[severnside gull]

took my grandchildren there last month. How sad to see the extent of its decline from the minute you park up outside. There are so few leisure centres around with full facilities, so it is hard to imagine anything positive happening in these straightened times although it would be so wonderful for generations of kids to have somewhere to enjoy and to test themselves safely

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

took my grandchildren there last month. How sad to see the extent of its decline from the minute you park up outside. There are so few leisure centres around with full facilities, so it is hard to imagine anything positive happening in these straightened times although it would be so wonderful for generations of kids to have somewhere to enjoy and to test themselves safely

Bring back Pirates Deep!

 

[Taybha]

ive seen this type of thing before somewhere,

Spend little or nothing in the upkeep of site
Promise the people something better until site unsafe
Every now and then get some cockamayme Andy Warhol wannabe to project the future using fairy liquid bottles and sticky backed tape
and last but no means least

Enjoy shopping at Tescos

 

[symyjym]

www.sussexicerink.co.uk ?

www.kingalfredarena.co.uk?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

took my grandchildren there last month. How sad to see the extent of its decline from the minute you park up outside. There are so few leisure centres around with full facilities, so it is hard to imagine anything positive happening in these straightened times although it would be so wonderful for generations of kids to have somewhere to enjoy and to test themselves safely

....I wonder if the lack of sports facilities in England has anything to do with us being shit at pretty much most sports?

 

[strings]

....I wonder if the lack of sports facilities in England has anything to do with us being shit at pretty much most sports?

I would agree with that.

Anyways, the King Alfred needs to be sorted. I lovew the proposal for the ice rink/swimming centre. A temporary ice rink would be good in the meantime.

Well done to all those involved in both proposals.

 

[beardosh]

How much would need to be raised to realistically be able to take ownership of the site and develop it into something like the 'Arena'? Would you ever then make the money back? I think it's in a great location with a massive catchment area but just needs to include the right facilities and someone with guts to go for it.

 

[symyjym]

Thanks Strings and Beardosh, this really is the next and current big issue for the city.

The Sussex Ice Skating Club fully support the temporary ice rink and are putting a project team together to push this concept forward, seek investment and make it a reality.

This has unofficially been forwarded to some of the council and it received a very positive response from a few of them, but it is very important to get this into the public domain and with the loyal members of NSC I hope that this concept will be spread.

With the kind of support BHA had to get Falmer we can make sure that the King Alfred has a positive future in our city.
Initially a temporary ice rink would cost about £675,000 so its not a multi million pound dream.

Although the ice rink plan is temporary it could be there indefinitely and be considered semi permanent.

www.sussexicerink.co.uk ?

www.kingalfredarena.co.uk?

With this temporary ice rink we could then determine if there is a demand for this ice facility and draw up plans for a swimming pool ice rink combo for the site a few years down the line.

Step 1 temporary ice rink, Step 2 reinvent the King Alfred as a whole?

 

[symyjym]

How much would need to be raised to realistically be able to take ownership of the site and develop it into something like the 'Arena'? Would you ever then make the money back? I think it's in a great location with a massive catchment area but just needs to include the right facilities and someone with guts to go for it.

P.S. We must remember that the KIng Alfred does not belong to the council and it is the community who has the ownership.

The true owners of this site, unlike any other in the city, is the community and we must always remind ourselves of that.

www.sussexicerink.co.uk ?

www.kingalfredarena.co.uk?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The most obvious and cheapest option (to the tax payer) was to moth-ball the Karis/Gehry scheme until banks were willing to lend some money or alternative funding was available.

 

[symyjym]

King Alfred Arena Argus Story

 

[Archibald Leach]

Originally Posted by Herr Tubthumper
...."I wonder if the lack of sports facilities in England has anything to do with us being shit at pretty much most sports?"

I do believe reading in the last year or so that we are the third or fourth ranked nation when all sports are taken into account.

 

[ali jenkins]

P.S. We must remember that the KIng Alfred does not belong to the council and it is the community who has the ownership.

The true owners of this site, unlike any other in the city, is the community and we must always remind ourselves of that.

www.sussexicerink.co.uk ?

www.kingalfredarena.co.uk?

Well that shows the depth of your research into building something new on the site. (I take it from the amount of times you have plugges the ice rink idea that you are involved in something you want on the site)

The site IS 100% council owned and I cant see that changing in the near future.

 

[ali jenkins]

The current plan for the site is to continue to be used as a sports centre.

DC Leisure, who currently run the rest of Brighton and Hove's centres are coming to the end of their contract to operate the centres on behalf of the council, so the KA is now included into the new contract which is out for tender at the moment. Wether the new operator wants to take it on is another matter.

While the place was meant to be closing down the council obviously didnt spend alot of money on inproving the place and unfortunatly it got to the stage where something needed to be done or it would have to close with no plan for the site. The council put £1.8m into the centre in the last year and most of that was just bringing it up to H&S standards.

The type of centre that they have at BH and Guilford would need MILLIONS of pounds worth of investment which would take a long time to get back. There isnt a massive amount of profit in Leisure Centres.

For the comments about the state of the changin areas...

Yes they could be improved sometimes, but I can promise that everything that can be done, is done to make sure they are as clean as can be. The facts are that at certain times of the day the centre can dirty quicker than it can be cleaned.

 

[symyjym]

Well that shows the depth of your research into building something new on the site. (I take it from the amount of times you have plugges the ice rink idea that you are involved in something you want on the site)

The site IS 100% council owned and I cant see that changing in the near future.

The council are here to work for us and the King Alfred purpose to be a community sport and leisure area servicing the city, so therefore we have a certain amount of say with regard to the King Alfred.

Or we could just say goodbye to it?

This is not about plugging the ice rink idea, its about a long overdue solution for a sporting venue that the city needs.

Where else would we have a decent sports centre?

Is there a better place than this that could be suggested?

Do we even want one?

All answers welcome

 

[Gully]

I would go for either an ice-rink, bring back the Tigers, or an Olympic sized swimming pool capable of hosting international competitions. Both of these would be excellent additions to the facilities offered within the city, create new jobs, and ultimately generate revenue for a wide range of businesses.

 

[ali jenkins]

I would go for either an ice-rink, bring back the Tigers, or an Olympic sized swimming pool capable of hosting international competitions. Both of these would be excellent additions to the facilities offered within the city, create new jobs, and ultimately generate revenue for a wide range of businesses.

All these things would require a large amount of investment, which is unlikley to be repaid in the near future.

I agree that it would be great to have a 50m Pool like at K2 or an Ice rink but at the moment there just isnt the money to do this.

 

[ali jenkins]

The council are here to work for us and the King Alfred purpose to be a community sport and leisure area servicing the city, so therefore we have a certain amount of say with regard to the King Alfred.

You have a vote to elect the council to run the city, they dont work for you

Or we could just say goodbye to it?

That wouldnt happen because there wouldnt be a Swimming Pool in Hove

This is not about plugging the ice rink idea, its about a long overdue solution for a sporting venue that the city needs.

Where else would we have a decent sports centre? You are right, there isnt another place to build one that is so easily accesable

Is there a better place than this that could be suggested? No

Do we even want one? Yes, of cause people want a sports centre.

All answers welcome

Hope this helps

 

[symyjym]

Before you get investment there has to be a collective vision and concept. This doesnt cost.

There may not be much money available at the moment but that doesnt stop you from developing a vision and concept ready for when it is.

Thinking is freeeee and public awareness is freeeee

 

[symyjym]

Anymore thoughts on the King Alfred or shall I let this thread fall off the page?