Glamorgan were approached about the ice rink plan

Glamorgan is building a new �6.5m stand and pavilion at Sophia Gardens but said it would apply to amend plans to include a temporary ice arena.

Devils owner Bob Phillips said all sides were "making progress" in negotiations.

The proposal is due to be put before Cardiff council on Thursday.

A permanent home will be built for the Devils within the Cardiff International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay but work has not yet begun.

'International stadium'

The team's current home at the Wales National Ice Rink in Cardiff city centre is due for demolition under the St David's 2 development, so a temporary home must be found.

Glamorgan Cricket Club Chairman Paul Russell said if a rink was built within the Sophia Gardens development, it would be turned into an indoor sports arena once the Devils moved to the sports village.

He added that the redevelopment of their ground into an international-standard stadium would not mean encroaching onto neighbouring Pontcanna Fields - a large open space near the city centre.

Ice rink users opposed the shopping development

He said the arena would be built within the footprint of the current Pontcanna Stand and form part of the proposed new pavilion.

Cardiff council was to consider the proposal to include a temporary ice arena at an executive business meeting on Thursday but it has been postponed.

A council document published ahead of the meeting said the council would fund the �2.5m grant to establishing the temporary rink.

The report said �2m could come from money paid by the developers of St David's 2 for the current ice rink site, and the remaining �500,000 from "other council funding sources".

The licence for the ice rink would initially last three years, with a further two-year extension should the sports village rink not be ready.

'Opposition'

Mr Phillips said the cricket club plan was one of four options for creating a rink that he had put forward to Cardiff council.

"There are four parties involved and we're working through to come up with a satisfactory solution. We are making progress," he added.

However, councillor Gwenllian Lansdown, whose ward includes the cricket ground, said a lack of information about the proposal has led to concerns within her community.

"This is a fairly significant proposal and I think there should have been community consultation and consultation with ward councillors," she added.

"I can't think why on earth with a proposal of this scale we wouldn't want to involve local people.

"Councillors are meant to agree in principle about this but I can't believe we are meant to make a principled decision without all these details to hand."