An artist’s impression shows the scale of the Underbelly ice rink envisaged

PLANS to set up a Christmas bar and ice rink in a 300-year-old square has got a frosty response from Mayfair residents.

The events company Underbelly has applied to take over Hanover Square Gardens throughout November and December.

The tickets-only Skate West End attraction will see a bar circled by a rink and with 26 metres of advertising hoardings.

It is the first time an application of this kind has been made for the square that has recently been restored and hosts the statue of the United Kingdom’s first prime minister, William Pitt the Younger.

The Mayfair Neighbourhood Development Forum has complained, saying the application is likely to break clear policies agreed with the city council at a time of controversy about the over-commercialisation of green spaces.

Its objection said: “At the time of the drafting of the neighbourhood plan, there was considerable controversy over the council’s then intention to commercialise Berkeley Square with three-year planning consents…

“This led directly, through local activism and high level engagement with Westminster City Council officers and members, to the policies within the plan to restrict the over-commercialisation of green spaces.”

The objection said the application could break the policies on loss of green space to commer­cial schemes, which is restricted to a 40 per cent maximum, air quality, and the potential for the “significant compaction on the lawns”.

“The recent restoration, paid for with public and private funds, took some seven years from inception to completion and focused on making the garden a place of calm and tranquillity,” the objection added.

It follows previous Mayfair disputes about marquees being set up in Berkeley Square and Cavendish Square in recent years.

Hanover Square, which dates from 1717, became a public square in 1997 after it was bought by the council.

A report to the planning committee accepted that” “Hanover Square is a sensitive historic environment of high significance” and would have a “harmful impact”, but dismissed concerns it was breaking the London squares act, recommending councillors vote in favour.

The report added: “The public benefits are considered to outweigh the less than substantial harm caused.”

A representative from Great Ormond Street Hospital said, in support, that the rink could bring in “tens of thousands of pounds” for the sick children’s charity through ticket sales and donations, and added: “It’s a tough climate to fundraise, so to have support at this level would be really beneficial.”

Underbelly’s design access statement said The London Squares Preservation Act 1931 does allow for temporary uses within squares if they are for short periods only, and added: “Underbelly have a strong track record of hosting successful events which generate vibrancy and vitality into the local area and in a manner which is sensitive to the surrounding area.”