Ice rink on council's £350k shopping list

A Christmas ice rink is among the items on a shopping list from councillors after a local authority ended the financial year with a surplus of £350,000.

Torbay Council's cabinet has drawn up a number of items which the authority could pay for after being told various departments had contributed to an underspend in the fourth quarter of the last financial year.

Items highlighted by the cabinet included an ice rink for the Bay of Lights event run in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham at Christmas, surveying community centres, tackling weeds and investing in adult social care.

The list of projects is set to be reviewed in July by the full council before a decision on what to spend the money on is made.

Other schemes highlighted by councillors to receive funding were a community-focused "blitz" to tidy and improve Torquay's Castle Circus area and money to encourage new start-up shops and businesses, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillor Alan Tyerman said while the money was a "tiny proportion" of the overall budget, it showed very good financial control from the authority.

"For several years things have looked comfortable in Torbay's accounts, and long may it continue," the Conservative councillor for Churston with Galmpton added.

Councillor Jackie Thomas, Conservative, Kings Ash, said an ice rink for the Bay of Lights project would be a "very exciting addition" to the event, which already featured a seafront illuminations trail and light show at Torre Abbey.

She said "an ice rink would very considerably increase our winter wonderland experience and encourage more footfall".

Councillor Darren Cowell welcomed the ideas and Torbay's "sound financial footing".

However, the Independent member for Shiphay urged colleagues to look beyond town centres and seafronts to spend some of the money in other local communities.

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