Green light for 220 space car park in Peterborough's Ferry Meadows that will prepare the way for Olympic-grade Climbing Wall

Work is about to start to create a new 220 plus-space car park at Ferry Meadows in Peterborough in a move that will pave the way for the construction of a 34.24 metres high Climbing Wall.

The new car park will replace the current 40-year-old facility at Lakeside and will feature 220 regular car park spaces plus 11 accessible car park spaces, four minibus spaces and a coach drop off area as well as improved access, numerous EV charging points, sustainable drainage and lots of tree and shrub planting.

Initial works, including archaeological excavations and associated ground works for the new car park, will begin this month.

Access to the existing car park will be retained and it will be business as usual at Lakeside Kitchen & Bar, Nene Outdoors, Fox play and other attractions at Lakeside.

Nene Park Trust, which operates Ferry Meadows, say that it is in the process of appointing a construction partner and it is hoped to complete the new car park towards the end of the year.

The existing Lakeside car park will stay open throughout these works.

Plans for the new car park were approved by Peterborough City Council last year as part the multi-million pound plans for the Activity Centre that will be built near Gunwade Lake.

The all year-round, all-weather indoor activity centre will feature the OIympic-grade Climbing Wall, which will be one of the tallest buildings in the city and one of the country’s largest Clip ‘n Climb arenas suitable for all ages.

There will also be a natural-themed indoor toddler play area, an additional café and private hire spaces for community groups.

The centre is expected to create 31 jobs and to generate £2 million a year for the city’s economy.

The £8 million Activity Centre is expected to be partly funded by a £1.5 million grant from the Government’s Town Fund.

An application for the funding was submitted by the Peterborough Towns Fund this spring and a decision from the Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Housing (DLUCH) is expected in the next few weeks.

Nene Park Trust says the new car park is an important step in delivering its Masterplan, which was unveiled in 2017 and sets out proposals for the next 30 years to ensure more use the park and extend the park’s reach across the city, promoting healthy lifestyles, building communities and celebrating culture.

Andrew MacDermott, the trust’s head of development, said: “We are excited and ready to get underway with this important improvement in the Park, supporting the delivery of the park Masterplan and projects such as the Activity Centre.

"We are working with local partners on the archaeological phase which will be interesting and look forward to following this with the creation of much improved car parking facilities for all.

"All our activities at Lakeside will continue undisturbed and we look forward to welcoming visitors over the summer.

He added: “We do apologise for any inconvenience caused to visitors while the work takes place.”