London has a new double Olympic skating centre following a £30m investment by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.

The aim is to encourage physical activity and community within the local population.

In addition to the rinks, it has a large gym and a dance studio, as well as community spaces and a café.

Designed by architects FaulkerBrowns, The Lee Valley Ice Centre will open on Saturday 17 June, with management by GLL's Better brand.

The development – on the site of the old Lee Valley Ice Centre – also received funding from the London Borough of Waltham Forest and is expected to add around £1.5m to the local economy each year.

It's also forecast to attract half a million visitors a year – double that of the previous facility.

The centre, which was completed within budget, is one of only three venues in the UK to have two Olympic-sized rinks and the only one in the south. The others being the National Ice Centre in Nottingham and Ice Sheffield.

The ice centre will be open seven days a week from 6.00am to 11.00pm.

The building is surrounded by £1.5m of landscaping, planting and environmental improvements and has been planned as a setting-off point for exploring the nearby open spaces of the Lee Valley Regional Park.

The building has strong eco-credentials, with solar and photovoltaic arrays and water-efficient rinks which will be cheaper to run.

The centre will offer public sessions, where everyone can try skating, sessions from top coaches, ice dance, synchronised skating, ice hockey and ice discos, as well as community engagement activities.

Shaun Dawson, CEO of Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, said: “This world class centre is at the cutting edge of leisure. It replaces our much-loved old venue which served the community for 37 years as a space for people of all ages to meet, socialise and exercise. I’m delighted we've been able to go so far beyond what the old venue offered and that we’re opening this new centre less than two years since construction started. We're excited to see communities here enjoying everything the centre has to offer and for it to become home to the next generation of skaters.”

Booking is needed for all skaters at the opening day, when everyone will be able to skate for £1.

About the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority is a statutory body with a remit for sport, leisure, conservation and open spaces through the 26 mile-long Lee Valley Regional Park, which follows the River Lee from the Thames, through east and north London into Essex and Hertfordshire.

Founded by an Act of Parliament, the organisation has more than 50 years’ experience of developing and running sports venues and parklands.

Today the organisation's 10,000 acres of land comprise a diverse mix of heritage sites, nature reserves and green spaces, including eight Sites of Special Scientific Interest, alongside sports venues, campsites, marinas and gardens. The portfolio attracts eight million visits a year.

Lee Valley Regional Park Authority owns three London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games venues – the Lee Valley VeloPark and Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and Lee Valley White Water Centre in Hertfordshire.

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