New plans for climbing sports centre in Peterborough parkland secure 'positive feedback'

Officials at the trust say a public display of plans for the new proposed Lakeside Activity Centre at Ferry Meadows generated a positive reaction from many visitors.

Now the trust is preparing to submit a planning application to Peterborough City Council for the centre in a few weeks’ time.

The proposal will be to build a 40 metre long by 20 metre wide building that will stand 10 metre tall offering mostly bouldering for all ages and levels plus a small café.

The intention is to build near Gunwade Lake.

A second phase of the project involves the addition of a climbing tower that will bring the building’s height up to 22 metre.

It will have a capacity for 219 people.

Earlier plans that were approved by the council in 2021 involved the creation of a 34.5 metre high climbing wall. Overall the new plans represent a reduction of 30 per cent in the scale of the proposed building.

The trust is proposing to build the centre without the tower as phase one and when funds allow to build the tower in a second phase.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “We had about 50 visitors to the information event last month and as you might expect there was a range of reactions.

“Some visitors had concerns about the project as a whole and the location.

“But there was a lot of positive feedback that the size of the building and height of the tower has been reduced and that the colour of the cladding will blend well with the existing Nene Outdoors Watersports and Activity Centre building.

She said: “There was also enthusiastic feedback from families and local climbers excited about a new leisure facility coming to the Park.

“The application is due to be submitted in mid May.”

When did we first hear about the Lakeside Activity Centre?

Plans for the Lakeside Activity Centre were first unveiled in 2018, when the cost was expected to be £5 million.

Since then the costs of construction have soared and the cost was later put at £10 million.

However, the scaled back proposals will come in at a lot less.

It was originally hoped the centre would open in 2020 ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games, where climbing was expected to feature for the first time.

The project eventually secured planning approval from Peterborough City Council in 2021 despite opposition from many local people who did not want to see a huge building in the countryside.

The centre has also been earmarked to receive £1.5 million of Government money through the Peterborough Towns Fund.

The then proposed Olympic-grade Climbing Wall would have been one of the tallest structures in Peterborough.