Cambridge to be without a winter wonderland on Parker’s Piece again in 2023

Additional reporting: Hannah Brown, Local Democracy Reporter

Cambridge will be without its winter wonderland on Parker’s Piece again this year.

Approval for a new Christmas attraction including an ice skating rink, festive market and carousel has been granted by Cambridge City Council, but the organiser says it needs time to put it together so will launch it in 2024.

It means a second year running without a major festive event at the park.

The contract with the organiser of the previous ‘North Pole’ attraction, complete with ice slide and ice bar, came to an end after winter 2021 and the city council invited bids from new operators. But after weighing up the risks and benefits of the submissions, it decided not to proceed with a seasonal event for Christmas 2022.

Now, Alpine Christmas Markets Ltd - part of Seventa Events - has been granted permission for a “family-friendly traditionally-themed Christmas event”, which can operate for four consecutive winters.

But the company said it wants the event to be the “absolute best it can be” for the city, and is keen to speak with local traders, suppliers and businesses, but said this would take time.

The organisers also highlighted that mains power would not be installed at Parker’s Piece in time for this year – although the city council had agreed biofuel generators could be used.

When it finally arrives, the attraction is expected to include an open air ice rink, a lodge bar, market stalls in traditional timber cabins, food and drink stalls, a Santa workshop, a Christmas tree maze, curling lanes, a carousel and a big wheel.

At a meeting of the city council’s planning committee on Wednesday (October 4), a representative of Alpine Christmas Markets Ltd said the company had taken a different direction to previous winter wonderlands on Parker’s Piece..

No “thrill fairground rides” are planned to reduce the noise and light impact.

Cllr Sam Carling (Lab, West Chesterton), the executive councillor for open spaces and city services, said a winter event at Parker’s Piece was important for the city.

He said the plans offered a “high-quality” event that people would be able to enter for free, although activities within the market would be charged.

Cllr Carling said: “The application has been carefully put together to take into account the concerns raised over previous winter offering - the removal of thrill rides being a key example of that.”

Cllr Katie Porrer (Lib Dem, Market), one of the ward councillors for the area, said the application did appear to be a “high quality offering”, but said there was still a “sticking point”.

She noted the plans referred to a ferris wheel at the Christmas market, but said this wheel was in fact the observation wheel that already has permission to run in Parker’s piece during a separate six months of the year.

Cllr Porrer felt the plans were not “transparent” in showing the existing observation wheel, highlighting that the illustrative image of the market showed a red and white wheel.

She wanted to see a winter event on Parker’s Piece, but “just not with this 34 metre high bright white wheel attached”.

Cllr Martin Smart (Lab, King’s Hedges) thought the proposed event had a “good selection of facilities” and looked like something he would like to go to. But he agreed it was “concerning” that it would include the same observation wheel.

Cllr Katie Thornburrow (Lab, Petersfield) said the market’s exterior fence was “quite boring” and suggested something could be organised to allow children to decorate it over the Christmas period.

Cllr Dave Baigent (Lab, Romsey) “welcomed” the new event, but thought it was “sad” it was not to be held this year.

When a decision on the plans was put to a vote, the councillors voted unanimously in favour of approving the application.

The permission means the attraction can run from November 1 to January 14 each winter, starting in November 2024 and ending in January 2028.