Find out why protesters are heartbroken at plans for a huge Climbing Wall on Peterborough parkland

An image of the proposed Climbing Walls planned for Nene Park.

But now Vicky, and many others like her, feel that the invaluable countryside retreat is about to be lost forever if plans to build a 34.25 metres tall Olympic standard Climbing Wall on a lakeside spot in the heart of the park get the go ahead.

If constructed, it would be among the tallest structures in the city - shorter than the 44 metres tall cathedral but just looming above the 32 metres high Apex Tower.

The proposals were put together about four years ago by the Nene Park Trust. Then it was hoped Peterborough City Council planners would have approved the £8 million structure in time to allow the completion of the climbing wall and associated activity centre to coincide roughly with what, before Covid, was thought would be the 2020 Tokyo Olypmics.

But the plan seems to have proved more complex than perhaps thought, demanding a raft of reports on issues from the wellbeing of bats, birds and other wildlife, to its impact on historical remains, the environment to a feared increase in traffic and a greater risk of local flooding.

Even now a date has not been set for councillors to sit down and make a decision on the plans and all the time the number of objections appears to rise with protesters putting the figure at more than 6,000.

Vicky said: “A lot of people in Peterborough are just very sad about this matter.

“The site of the climbing wall is right at the heart of the park - it is the place where many generations of many Peterborough families have gone to make memories.

“It’s such a nice place to sit and see the whole park, watch the wildlife and just enjoy the tranquillity.

“The reason most people go to the park is to escape from the city.

“We’re constantly told exercise is good for mental health and that may be true but it’s not for everyone.

“People just want a choice - and sometimes they just want to come to the park to just get away from everything.

She said: “The views the wall would block are the best in the park. But once we allow the climbing wall to go up, it’s never going to come down again.”

“It’s a big sacrifice the people of Peterborough feel they are being told they have to make - they’re not even being asked to make the sacrifice.

She added: “People feel gutted, ignored, not listened to and some are really quite angry about it.

“This land was given to the people of Peterborough as a country park and there’s no way it can be called that once this climbing wall has been built.”

Two years ago, city councillors voted to declare a climate emergency.

Vicky said: “What happened to that declaration?

“To approve these plans would be such a change of direction.

“People feel so let down and there are now more than 6,000 objections which shows how strongly people feel. That is why we sent an open letter to all councillors. They need to be aware what a big decision this is and we don’t want to let them off the hook.”

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