Peterborough's Ferry Meadows climbing centre could be white elephant at £8million cost

Firstly, Nene Park was transferred from the Development Corporation to Nene Park Trust, a company limited by guarantee with charitable status in 1988 with an endowment of properties to provide sufficient income to cover running costs, along with that generated by the parks tenancies and operations.
This image shows how the proposed Olympic climbing walls centre at Ferry Meadows could appearThis image shows how the proposed Olympic climbing walls centre at Ferry Meadows could appear
This image shows how the proposed Olympic climbing walls centre at Ferry Meadows could appear

I am extremely concerned about the latest proposal by Nene Park to build a climbing centre near Gunwade Lake one of the most beautiful areas in the park and for miles around. I attended the open viewing of the proposed development at the John Horrell Room and was immediately shocked by the sheer size of the proposal and how Mr Bradbury can say that this, in my opinion, huge monstrous metal clad building will not be an eyesore in the park I do not know. If it is not going to be an eyesore why is there a need to plant many more trees in the surrounding park land?

With regard to the benefit of a climbing wall centre of this magnitude to the people of Peterborough, I cannot imagine how this will have the effect on visitor numbers as suggested in the press release.

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Fifteen per cent extra visitors to the park is surely a number picked out of the hat. The fees that will need to be charged to use this facility will have to be extortionate to repay the building costs alone, I was told at the viewing that the project would be around £8 million not the £5 million as reported, and with management fees, maintenance costs, interest on loans, etc. I cannot see how this project will ever be anything but a white elephant to Nene Park.

I would remind readers of the following paragraph I found on the Wikipedia site. It says the Nene Park Trust is tasked “to provide for the recreation of the public by the provision of park for the benefit of the inhabitants of Peterborough and visitors with the object of improving the conditions of life for such persons”.

My concern is if this building goes ahead it will be to the detriment to the natural beauty of Nene Park and will spoil the park for the future generation to come. A proper consultation is needed to get the views of the people who use the park on the benefits and detriments of this proposal.

Denis Kirk - Orton Waterville, Peterborough