THE ice rink which has attracted thousands of skaters at Christmas is not coming back to Huddersfield.

Council chiefs have pulled the plug on the Piazza attraction, despite previous claims it brings business into the town centre.

They say they cannot justify the costs of staging the ice rink over Christmas and the New Year, with costs running into six figures, at a time of budget constraints.

Last year, more than 14,000 people skated on the ice when the rink was open from December 2 to January 3.

They paid more than £50,000 in ticket prices but the rink cost the council £150,000 to stage – and left them with the problem of tidying up the Piazza, which was left a muddy mess.

But council bosses insisted the people drawn into town to enjoy the rink brought about £700,000 worth of trade for town centre shops and bars.

Clr Mehboob Khan, Leader of Kirklees Council, said: “These are challenging times for the council, and we have had to look closely at the value we receive from events we have supported in the past in order to make some difficult decisions.

“While I am delighted to confirm that Huddersfield will continue to enjoy events like this weekend’s fabulous Food and Drink Festival, like Halifax and other neighbouring towns before us, we have accepted that we can no longer afford to subsidise an ice rink.”

Speaking about Huddersfield’s ambitious festivals and events which drive huge numbers of people into the town centre, Clr Khan said the larger events such as Festival of Light and the Food Festival were successful in drawing large crowds.

“Events such as the Food Festival, the Caribbean Carnival and Festival of Light are now attracting visitor numbers in excess of 25,000 per event – many of whom go on to shop, eat, drink and use our town centre businesses.

“And not only do they create opportunities for our local businesses, but these premier events offer something different for visitors too – helping us to raise our profile beyond the town’s boundaries and attracting audiences from across the region and further afield.

“I’m sure many of our local residents have enjoyed the ice rink over recent years, but because of its size and limited appeal, we recognise that the rink will never be in a position to deliver business benefits on this scale for the town.”

But council officials are planning other events in the coming months.

They include:

September 25 – Official opening of revamped Greenhead Park, timed to coincide with the 127th anniversary of the park’s opening. It will be a giant public birthday party, complete with candles, birthday picnic, party games and fireworks.

Greenhead Park will also be the venue for Concerts in the Park, which returns in summer 2012 after an earlier announcement that this will now take place every other year.

The Christmas Lights Switch-On takes centre-stage in mid November as the town gears up for the festive period, and is followed a few weeks later on December 2, 3 and 4 by Festival of Light – returning with a full weekend of outdoor entertainment, spectacular shows, fireworks, and other attractions.

Clr Khan said: “Although the rink will no doubt be missed by some, I am confident that this is the right decision and focuses our resources wisely on the activities and events which are clearly attracting spending visitors and supporting town centre trade.”