Nene Park Trust hit out at council over lack of consultation at move to axe £1 million funding for £6 million climbing centre

The trust has criticised what it says is a lack of consultation about the council’s new proposals to withdraw extra funding of £1,073,280 from the £6 million climbing centre project earmarked for Ferry Meadows.

And the trust has warned that if the move is agreed by members of the council’s ruling cabinet on October 1 it will put the success of the Lakeside Activity Centre in jeopardy

Trust bosses have also rejected council claims that there is uncertainty around the costs and viability of the project.

They point out the proposed Lakeside Activity Centre, for which plans have already been submitted to the council, is expected to generate more than £26 million in social and economic value for Peterborough.

The extra funding was first proposed at the July meeting of the Peterborough Towns Fund board as it looked to reallocate cash following the sale of the council-owned former TK Maxx store in Bridge Street.

The council says that a £1.45 million Towns Fund allocation agreed several years ago is still committed to the Activity Centre.

Adrian Oates, director of development and partnerships for Nene Park Trust said: “Without this Towns Fund money, we will not be able to take the project forward unless replacement funding is found, which would be a real disappointment to the many local people who have been eagerly waiting for the centre to open.

“We are now trying to find out why this decision has been made without the usual consultation, and why our project has been left out at this late stage when it had previously been recommended to receive this funding.

He said: “We are very concerned and disappointed that the Lakeside Activity Centre is not among the projects recommended to receive the remaining reallocated Towns Fund money, in the paper going to Peterborough City Council's Cabinet meeting on 1 October.

“The council did not contact Nene Park Trust or the Towns Fund Board to discuss this before the paper was submitted.

Mr Oates said: “We have submitted further information to the Cabinet setting out the social and financial case for the centre.

“We remain confident that the business case is robust and that the project offers exceptional value for money.

“Using Sport England's social return on investment figure of £4.38 for every £1 invested, the centre is expected to generate more than £26 million in social and economic value for Peterborough."

The move to withhold the extra funding comes as the local authority looks to shake up the financing for its Town Fund projects.

The Climbing Wall project has been part of the council’s Towns Fund portfolio ever since the financing venture was set up by the Conservative government in 2019.

But members of the council’s ruling cabinet will be recommended not to support the Climbing Wall project for extra funding as they look to reallocate cash following the sale of the former TK Maxx store and the proposed sale of Goods Shed at Fletton Quays, which have provided about £4,495,000 for reallocation within the Towns Fund programme.