Aberdeen city councillors today agreed that preparations should begin to pave the way for a tender process to allow a third-party organisation to operate the Linx Ice Arena.

But resources management committee members also agreed unanimously that Aberdeen City Council should continue to investigate the possibility of transferring the beachfront facility to the proposed arm's-length trust which the council is founding to run many of its sports facilities.

The city council budget meeting in February agreed that the Linx should be closed for 18 months to allow essential £1m repairs to go ahead, including the replacement of the refrigeration unit.

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The repairs would allow the facility to reopen in time to help host the European Curling Championships in December 2009.

A number of organisations have since approached the city council to discuss the possibility of taking on the management of the Linx and reopen it earlier than the planned date of October next year.

A report to today's meeting asked members to decide whether they wished to pursue the option of third-party management.

The committee agreed that a twin-track approach should be pursued. That will see council officers preparing for a tender process to go ahead by first of all laying down the parameters for the council's expectations of such an operator - while at the same time continuing to investigate transferring the ice arena to the proposed trust.

Committee convener Councillor Kevin Stewart said after the meeting: "We are giving the various parties who are interested in managing the Linx Ice Arena the opportunity to bid to run it. But if that does not work out, it will become part of the arms-length trust.

"I have to emphasise that we are fully committed to opening the Linx before the start of the curling championships, come what may - and hopefully the doors may be open again well before that time."

(GK/JM)