A near-century of public amenity just up the road is about to end, according to Jason Cobb who reports that Lambeth Council has opted to move Streatham’s ice rink to a temporary site in Brixton, while Tesco’s multi-million-pound development of the “Streatham Hub” site finally goes ahead.

It’ll be an end to the Silver Blades, and presents the possibility of the “Brixton Redskins” ice hockey team, but the decision does mean that Streatham Common will be left untouched and undamaged by the cold hand of Tesco’s developments.

To summarise briefly: Tesco were given planning permission for the present site of the ice arena and Streatham pool, on the condition that there would be a continuity of leisure facility provision – meaning that Tesco will have to build a new pool and rink, and keep something available once the bulldozers moved in.

With the deepest of pockets, Tesco delayed to such an extent that the under-maintained old pool closed last year on safety grounds, and then announced that they wanted to install a temporary rink on the Common, to the horror of many local and Norbury residents.

Now Lambeth Council has ended the uncertainty, using an old car park up the A23 for the temporary rink.

As Cobb writes:

“The Pope Road compromise is probably the best outcome out of a no-win situation. With all the power to run leisure in Streatham long since sold away to a corporate superstore, @LambethLabour has been left to *sell* the idea of the compromise to the Little People.

“The relief will be that the temporary ice rink won’t be plonked on Streatham Common, as seemed to be the non-negotiable stance taken by Cabinet only as recently as March of this year.

“The fear for the Streatham skaters and hockey players is that Pope’s Road will become permanent. Tesco will have no reason to finance a permanent pad back up in SW16, and a historic cultural facility will be lost in Streatham forever.”

via onionbagblog.