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CURRIES REMOVALS & CLEARANCES LTD, WHICH HAS A PRESENCE IN THE TOWN’S WHITFIELD DRIVE, HAS BEEN GRANTED PERMISSION FOR A CHANGE OF USE AT THE SITE. 13:16, 29 May 2025 A family-run

business has been granted permission to turn the vacant Ayr Ice Rink in Limekiln Road into a storage and distribution centre. Ayrshire Live can exclusively reveal that Curries Removals &

Clearances Ltd, which has a presence in the town’s Whitfield Drive, has been granted permission for a change of use at the site. The firm previously lodged a planning application seeking

permission for a “change of use and alterations” of the ice rink to form a storage and distribution centre. Approval has now been granted by South Ayrshire Council under delegated powers and

the firm is expected to relocate to the former ice sports venue. Planning papers list the applicant as Mary Currie, of Curries Removals & Storage Ltd and it’s understood that there are

“no alterations proposed” to the exterior of the building. In approving the proposals, with conditions, council papers said: “It is considered that the proposed change of use will revitalise

a previously redundant building by the relocation of an existing established business to the locale, to the benefit of the wider economy. Article continues below DOWNLOAD THE AYRSHIRE LIVE

APP TODAY The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now. Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips

24/7. The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you. The Ayrshire Live app is available to

download now on iOS and Android. “It is regarded that the proposal will enhance the vitality of the area by utilising a vacant property and is also a location accessible by sustainable

modes of transport. Given the above and having balanced the applicant’s rights against the general interest, it is recommended that the application be approved, subject to conditions.” This

latest development marks a new twist in the future of the ice rink, which is still advertised as being 'for sale.' The rink had been lying dormant since it went on the market back

in late September 2023, ending a near 50-year association with ice sports in Ayr. The sale followed a shock announcement in June of that year when rink owners, Ayrshire Curlers Ltd,

announced its closure, blaming an “unprecedented hike in energy costs” for the hammer blow. News of the closure was greeted with widespread dismay by the hundreds of skaters who used the

rink every week. Article continues below And a Save Ayr Ice Rink Facebook page was set up in the wake of the closure announcement, backed by the likes of GB figure skating legend Christopher

Dean. And a petition to try to save the venue from closure had attracted more than 12,500 signatures. A bid to purchase the venue was made in September 2023 by Glasgow Ice Centre - in

partnership with Scottish Curling, Kyle Figure Skating Club, Ayr Figure Skating Club and Ayr Bruins Junior Ice Hockey Club. Despite their best efforts the takeover did not go ahead.