A TEMPORARY ice rink in Yeovil has been dubbed a disappointing financial failure with the total number of budding skaters using the facility far less than expected.

The synthetic ice rink was installed on the car park at the Foundry House and Mill Lane site between May 29 and June 5.

But members of South Somerset District Council's Area South committee have now been told that the initiative fell well short of the hoped for income.

Councillors were told last week that the total expenditure for the project was £10,083, while the income taken over the eight days was just £2,129 - a deficit of nearly £8,000. A report said that projected income had been put at £8,850 and organisers were expecting a loss of a few hundred pounds.

Town centre manager Nina Higgins, who spearheaded the skating initiative after youngsters had suggested they wanted an ice rink in Yeovil, said: "The income from the ice rink did not match expectations.

"But 606 people did use the facility all of whom thoroughly enjoyed themselves with several coming back for a second and third time."

And she added: "Whilst the provision of the event may not have been successful in financial terms, some very valuable lessons were learned that relate to the future commercial development of the site at Foundry House and Mill Lane.

"It became very apparent that traffic and pedestrian access will need to be given very serious consideration as it does not presently serve the area well."

Councillors were told that the income raised by skaters using the rink generated £1,889 - far short of the envisaged £8,400.