Get your skates on - ice rink may be heading back to Lancaster's historic square this winter

Plans for the popular Lancaster on Ice attraction to return to the city are to go before the council later this month.

Lancaster on Ice is an annual winter wonderland and award-winning outdoor ice skating event held in Dalton Square.

First launched in 2018, the festival generally operates from late November to early January and features an 800sqm real-ice rink, a giant Ferris wheel, Christmas market stalls, traditional fairground rides, and a Giant Tipi Bar.

The latest planning application seeks permission for the temporary seasonal use of land for an ice rink and associated infrastructure, Christmas market stalls, a skate exchange marquee, an event tepee for food and drink, and fairground rides and equipment.

As part of the fairground offer, the proposal includes a 30-metre high observation wheel at the northern end of Dalton Square. It would be located in the same position as in previous years.

The applicants, Martin and Hannah Horner from The Borough, seek planning permission for three alternative layouts.

One layout excludes the observation wheel and includes a larger tepee area. In all three options, the ice rink, skate exchange, chillers and associated rink infrastructure remain in the same position within Dalton Square gardens.

The alternative layouts relate to the position of the fairground rides, Christmas market stalls and event tepee. These elements would all be outside the listed stone balustrades and within the highway and parking areas on the northern and eastern sides of Dalton Square.

The associated infrastructure includes chillers, access ramps, fencing, hoardings, access barriers and a skate exchange tent. The application includes three alternative zonal layouts showing the position of the market stalls, beverage tent and fairground rides. This provides flexibility over how the temporary facilities would be arranged each year.

The submission states that the development would operate Monday to Sunday, including bank holidays, between 10am and 10pm. The development is also expected to support 15 full-time jobs during the circa six-week event period.

Lancaster City Council officers have recommended that planning permission be granted for the event.

Councillors will meet on Monday September 28 to make their decision.

A council report says: "The application seeks to build on the success of the last seven years of the Lancaster on Ice event and represents an exciting opportunity for the temporary use of a historic public space.

"Whilst the proposal will result in a degree of harm to the setting of designated heritage assets, this impact would be temporary and fully reversible."

A listed building application will also be heard, because the Queen Victoria monument, which would be at the centre of the ice rink in Dalton Square, is Grade II* listed and the balustrades around the square are Grade II listed.