The Ice sports center will certainly be open till July 1, 2017. The Eindhoven city council unanimously decided Tuesday night.
The political groups herewith want to give the clubs and catering in the Ice sport center security to keep their business running the coming seasons.
The ice sports clubs sounded the alarm last month. As the plans of Alderman Van Kaathoven still included the intention to close the rink in July next year, the associations were afraid that they were doomed.
According to the associations and catering entrepreneurs no agreement can be made with sponsors with the risk that the ice rink might still be closed in July 2016. The membership numbers might also diminish as potential members would not sign up if the rink would close soon.
The opposition initially wanted certainty until July 2018, but came to a compromise with the coalition parties till 2017. According to the coalition parties PvdA, D66, GroenLinks and SP it is too difficult to find a financial coverage for a guarantee until 2018. Now the prolonged opening of the rink will be paid from a reserve within the sports budget.
The coming period a so called steering committee of officials will consult over the operation of the rink. That study should present concrete proposals to keep the rink open, with a lot less money from the municipality. Opposition parties in the Eindhoven city council want to keep the ice rink open anyway whatever the outcome of the investigation. The coalition parties think otherwise. They believe that the rink should be cheaper. If that is not possible, the plug should possibly still be pulled out.
Source: Studio040
