An Aberystwyth winter attraction is set to return “bigger and better” - and at a new venue - in 2021, despite the organisation behind the scheme admitting it lost more than £40,000 in the two years it was held.

Advancing Aberystwyth, the organisation responsible for using the money collected in levies from local businesses as part of the Aberystwyth Business Improvement District, said the Winterland and ice rink attraction – cancelled this year amid the pandemic – will return in 2021 in a new venue.

Introduced in 2018, and funded by a grant from the Mill Street Development Fund, the ice rink attraction was established on Castle Green and St Michael’s Church car park.

While the new attraction was supported, it has been criticised for its small size, its cost and the losses it made.

While Advancing Aberystwyth said its aim “is not to make a profit, it is to provide benefits to the levy businesses”, they admit that the attraction made a loss in 2018 of nearly £7,000 and a loss in 2019 of more than £36,000.

The organisation is now hopeful that a move to the car park of the Vale of Rheidol Railway on Park Avenue will see the attraction be self-sustaining in the future.

“In 2018 we wanted to bring a major winter attraction to the town centre over the festive period,” Advancing Aberystwyth said.

“We looked at several options including car parks on the outskirts of town. However we wanted visitors to have to walk through the centre of town in order to reach the attraction, hopefully visiting shops and cafés at the same time.

“The most appropriate site closest to the town centre was the Castle Green and St Michael’s Car Park.

“Over the two years, the average cost was approximately £21,000 per year, which we believe is great value for a month-long attraction that brought thousands of visitors to the town from all over the UK.

“When we move to a new site, we expect the project to break even.

“We have learned a lot over the past two years, and realise the location has its restrictions.

“The 2020 Winterland and ice rink - cancelled due to Covid-19 - was to be moved to the Vale of Rheidol car park, allowing us to have a bigger ice rink and bigger and better Winterland rides.

“That location will also be more sheltered from the wind and will result in fewer cancelled sessions. The 2021 attraction will be located at the Vale of Rheidol.”