Bournemouth Borough Council (BBC) has approved plans to build a new ice stadium complex at King's Park, despite admitting that it would not be able to subsidise the facility using taxpayers' money.

Proposals for the development, which will be located near the home of AFC Bournemouth, received strong public support during a public consultation held late last year. An Olympic-sized ice rink with a separate area for curling is at the centre of plans for the new complex, as well as an indoor football centre with covered five-a-side pitches and an outdoor all-weather pitch.

Other facilities include an indoor surfing facility, an outdoor archery centre, a mini-golf area and a climbing wall. Café and restaurant facilities offering views overlooking the park are also included in the proposals. BBC officers have now been asked to investigate the traffic and environmental impact of the proposed development in order to support an outline planning application despite uncertainty over how the project will be funded.

Commenting on the results of the public consultation, the council's deputy leader, John Beesley, said: "It is important to understand that the ice stadium would not be a council development. "The construction and operation of the ice stadium would be dependent on developers and operators raising the finance to undertake the project."