New plans lodged for £6m climbing centre

Plans to build a £6m activity centre and climbing wall in Peterborough have been put in to the city council.

Earlier this year, Nene Park Trust said proposals for the Lakeside Activity Centre in Ferry Meadows and an Olympic-grade 34m-tall (110ft) climbing wall were being scaled back because the project was no longer viable due to its cost.

The trust has since revised its plans for what it called "a simpler, lower building", with the updated application submitted this week.

If approved, construction would start next year over two phases, with the facility opening in 2028.

The original £14m project, for the former Lakeside car park, attracted hundreds of objections, including from naturalist Chris Packham and Peterborough Civic Society.

The revised plans were presented at a public consultation event in April and received "mixed feedback", the trust said.

It said the updated design, with a 22m-tall (72ft) climbing tower, had been refined following residents' comments.

Plans now included indoor roped climbing, bouldering facilities, a café, children's play area and accessible changing rooms, to be built in the scheme's first phase.

Although the centre has gained "significant" investment, including from the government's Towns Fund, the trust said the project still needed to attract more funding - and the new plans would have to be approved before it could be built.

Trust chief executive Matthew Bradbury described the proposal as an "exciting development for the park and the city".

He said the centre would provide year-round indoor recreation facilities for residents and visitors.

"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 to fulfil their dreams," he said.

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