Plans for Olympic-sized climbing wall scaled back

A proposal for an Olympic-size climbing wall in Peterborough is no longer viable due to its cost, the charity behind the plans has said.

Nene Park Trust was granted planning permission in 2021 to build the wall and an indoor activity centre at Ferry Meadows.

The trust said plans had been amended for "a simpler, lower building", and a revised application for a new climbing wall would be submitted to the city council in April.

A spokesperson for the trust, said: "Since the permission was granted, the construction costs have risen astronomically and the business case does not work for a building of the scale and expense originally planned."

The trust added: "Unfortunately, in the current economic climate, funding for this sort of project has been difficult to raise and we are unable to progress our original plans."

The original proposal for a 34m (110ft)-tall indoor activity centre, located on the old Lakeside car park, attracted hundreds of objections, including from naturalist Chris Peckham and Peterborough Civic Society.

NPT hoped the facility – which was expected to cost £14m and be open by this summer – had the potential to become a National Centre of Excellence for climbing and para-climbing.

The project's budget has since been reduced to £6m, with work on the facility now expected to be carried out in two phases. The first phase is scheduled to be complete in autumn 2027.

Matthew Bradbury, chief executive of the trust, said: "Climbing – especially bouldering – is a growing sport across the UK, and as it now features in the Olympics it's great that we can support aspiring climbers of all ages fulfil their dreams.

"We've listened very carefully to all feedback provided on our original plans, and we feel that a smaller, more affordable, less intrusive building will satisfy many of our regular visitors while still delivering a huge amount of impact and fun."

The trust said the facility, which will include a cafe, toilets and changing rooms, will increase visitor numbers by 10% and lead to an estimated £1m annual boost to the local economy.

A public meeting to showcase the revised plans will be held on 13 April at the Lakeside Hub in Ferry Meadows.

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