We received planning permission to create a new activity centre at Lakeside in Ferry Meadows in 2021 but since then construction costs have risen astronomically and the business case does not work for a building of the scale and expense originally planned. The climbing market has also changed in that time with the rise in popularity of bouldering. We are therefore adapting our plans to a smaller, less expensive building, which will still deliver indoor leisure facilities that our visitors want to see, with a focus on bouldering, and generate necessary income for Nene Park Trust.

Since receiving planning permission for this building in 2021, we have been working hard to raise the funds to build the centre. Unfortunately, in the current economic climate, funding for this sort of project has been difficult to raise and with construction costs rising too we have been unable to progress our original plans. We are now seeking to amend our plans so that we can finally build the activity centre.

Our plans have always been to create an indoor venue where our visitors can enjoy activity in all weathers, all year round. Due to a changing world and rising building costs we are now seeking planning permission for a revised plan, which will still provide that all-weather sporting venue but will be 30% smaller than previously planned with a shorter tower (22m high vs the previous plan for 34m high), offering predominantly bouldering for all ages and levels, as well as roped climbing, space for a small café, toddler play area and a small gym. 

We are proposing to build the centre without the tower as phase 1 and if funds allow we will build the tower in phase 2 and add additional lead (rope) climbing.

Initial planning for the project started in April 2017. Our ideas began for an indoor facility of some sort down at Lakeside, following various consultations around spatial planning at that end of the Park with our partners and key stakeholders. Further public consultation took place in November 2018 prior to us submitting our planning application and an exhibition of the plans was held in March 2019.  In December 2019 we submitted further technical information to Peterborough City Council and again in December 2020 before receiving planning permission in March 2021. The creation of the new car park began in 2022 and was completed by Easter 2023. In 2025 we completed the creation of more accessible parking spaces and bike parking, as well as upgrading the toilet block in this area. Since then, we have been working hard to raise the funds needed to build the activity centre.

Typically, Ferry Meadows is quieter during the winter months, and the new indoor activity centre will encourage visitors year-round, in all weathers. The development of the new centre forms part of our commitment to improve the Park, allowing us to better deliver on our charitable objectives, and to offer a unique fitness experience to our visitors.

There is no other climbing facility in Peterborough which offers Olympic level bouldering and an all-weather experience to a wide range of audiences, ensuring Nene Park Trust delivers to its visitors all year round. The nearest other large climbing facilities are in Cambridge or further afield, over 45 minutes’ drive away. The old Peterborough Climbing Wall in Bretton closed down in 2020 and we have been working with the Peterborough Mountaineering Club over the last few years to ensure they have a presence in the new centre.

The majority of the building is at a similar level to the existing surrounding trees and the tower, is now much shorter than the previous plans and sits well in the landscape. We have listened to feedback on our previous plans and softened the colour of the cladding, now planning for muted colours to blend well into the landscape around it. The proposed building will have exterior lighting, which we will be keeping as low as possible to minimise light pollution within the Park. Furthermore, we will be adding extensive new planting around the new building.

Planning permission has already been granted to site the activity centre in this location.  The site is by an existing hub of activity at Lakeside. Our visitors come to Nene Park for a variety of different activities – whether that’s dog walking, education activities, watersports, fishing, cycling or running – activity is a central theme to all of that and this is an opportunity for us to put Peterborough and Nene Park on the map for recreation on a larger scale. Nene Park stretches from close to the city centre out to Wansford and within this there are areas which are kept specifically for quiet enjoyment and other areas for more active uses. We are very keen to maintain those areas of peaceful refuge which many of our visitors come to enjoy at Nene Park, which is why all of this activity is being contained to one area of Ferry Meadows.

We expect an increase of around 10% in the number of visitors we receive to the Park throughout the year, however we envisage the increase will be during times where we currently have fewer visitors, such as during the winter months, evenings or times of bad weather.

We are working with a range of professional consultants and partners including Landscape Architects SLR who worked with the Trust on the Masterplan, Butcher Bayley Architects (BBA), engineering consultancies Webb Yates and DWP Pointer, construction consultants Edmond Shipway and planning consultants Savills. We are also liaising with many other relevant bodies such as UK Sport, Sport England, Living Sport and the British Mountaineering Council.

Bouldering is a form of rock climbing focused on short, challenging ‘routes’ (known as ‘problems’) climbed without ropes or harnesses and just crash mats. It’s low level and is a highly accessible sport, requiring minimal equipment and offering a full body workout, mental challenge and social activity for all ages and skill levels.

Bouldering is now an Olympic sport, and the new activity centre will be fitted out with high spec bouldering equipment, therefore attracting elite climbers who want to train at Olympic level, and compete. The centre will also be accessible to all ages and skill levels including complete beginners and people with additional needs.

Climbing is one of the fastest growing recreational activities in the world and there is a great demand for a quality climbing facility in Peterborough and our wider region. We also know through our own consultations with the public that indoor facilities available all year round are what many people want us to provide.

As the physical and mental health of both young people and adults emerges as a growing concern, Nene Park Trust, in line with its charitable objectives, wants to ensure that all its recreational and leisure offerings have proven wellbeing and educational benefits. In doing this we also wish to support the aspirations of Peterborough’s wider health and wellbeing strategies. Climbing, both as recreation and serious sport, supports healthy physical and mental development. A natural human activity loved by participants of all ages, climbing particularly helps children and young people develop core body strength, agility and coordination, as well as focus, mindfulness and problem solving skills – all whilst having fun!

Bouldering is accessible to all ages and skill levels. By offering a sport that is accessible to all, children and families can climb for recreation, or begin a competitive climbing journey with no limit on their aspirations – we are looking forward to supporting the stars of the future!

We also know that climbing builds social skills, group work, trust and confidence.

For more serious sports participants the top class facilities at our activity centre will provide a much needed venue for practice and competition in Peterborough. The introduction of climbing as an Olympic sport in the 2020 Olympics (held in 2021) and the UK success at the 2024 Olympics, means we anticipate ‘heightened’ interest as soon as we open the centre, offering a significant boost for Peterborough’s leisure scene and visitor appeal.

We estimate that this popular facility will increase our visitor numbers by 10% through keeping visits up during the winter and poor weather, and leading to an estimated £1m annual impact on our local economy.

There is a great potential for Peterborough to build a reputation amongst climbing enthusiasts, as well as encouraging newcomers to the sport. It is predicted that the increased activity in Nene Park and the leisure sector in general could bring over £1million per year to the local economy.

More facilities in the Park will allow us to hold further charity and community events whilst a new exciting activity in the area will attract newcomers to Nene Park and will establish Peterborough as a destination.

The area we have chosen, next to Gunwade Lake, alongside the Lakeside Kitchen & Bar, makes efficient use of space with a minimal impact on the surrounding landscape and environment. Development in this area creates a hub of activity for our visitors and also ensures that development is confined to one discrete area.  The old car park was not fit for purpose anymore and so a new car park has been built next to it, meaning that the old car park area can be developed on. The area is prone to flooding but the building will be raised above the flood level & new hard landscaping will use porous materials, allowing for faster drainage. The new footpaths built in 2025 are porous resin & similar materials will be used for footpaths around the centre.

The new indoor facility will be built on the old car park at Lakeside, and the space around the centre will be greener as we plant more biodiversity-rich planting in this area.

We have already created a one-way system through the new car park which has enabled smoother movement of traffic during peak periods and reduced the amount of two way traffic on the narrowest section of road.  Some work has already been completed on improving Lakeside road further and we plan to upgrade the rest once construction traffic ceases.

Whilst the site’s proximity to Gunwade Lake means that it does lie within Flood Zone 3, the building has been specifically designed with this in mind from the start, to ensure flood water can pass freely around the building and foundation and cause no damage or impact downstream. Given that the facility will be based on the old car park, the size of the impermeable, hard area will be reduced. For comparison purposes, the building will have a very similar format to that of the current building at Lakeside, raised up from the ground.

We already have planning permission to site the activity centre on the old Lakeside car park. As the site is an old tarmac car park, there is very little habitat value on the site. Independent ecology surveys have shown that there are no priority species in the area which will be affected and there will therefore be very little impact to wildlife and the habitat surrounding the site. The vast majority of trees will be retained around the building with additional planting planned. The proposed building will also have minimal exterior lighting to ensure safety for visitors but minimise detrimental effects on wildlife, also reducing light pollution in the Park.  The building will also provide habitat through provision of nesting boxes and the soft landscaping proposed around the new arrival area is designed to provide a sustained food source for pollinators and improved visual interest for our visitors.

Ferry Meadows is home to many bats and we continually work to improve the habitat for them and a whole range of wildlife.  As part of this project, we have undertaken extensive ecology work to ensure we understand the behaviour of bats in this area and do not adversely impact them.  There is a lot of bat activity nearby on the water’s edge and the lighting of the new building has been planned with this in mind to ensure light levels are kept low in this area.  We have also identified ways to adapt the existing lighting at Lakeside as part of this project so we expect a positive impact on local bat populations.

This centre will be run by a dedicated team of expert climbers. We have now agreed a partnership with Lakeland Climbing Community, who run 30 centres across the UK.

Nene Park Trust expects to see around a 10% increase in use of Ferry Meadows as a result of these facilities throughout the year, with the majority of impact during the winter, in the evenings and when the weather is poor. We anticipate the facility will turnover around £1 million per year. The real value of this project is the social return which this investment would deliver above a traditional investment, through the provision of better facilities for our visitors.

Although the Trust is spending some of its reserves on this, we have also been working hard over the last few years to source additional funding for the cost of the construction.  We have also received part funding from the Towns Fund & Government Shared Prosperity Fund. From our extensive research, we believe that the centre will generate enough income to make it financially sustainable to support our other activities and maintenance of the Park.

Planning permission for the Activity Centre was granted by Peterborough City Council Planning Committee in 2021. The first stage was to create the new car park, which was completed in 2023. Since then we have been working hard behind the scenes to secure further funding for the project. We are now submitting revised plans for a scaled down building and offer which is more affordable and hope to start construction in early 2027. Phase 1 will be a building without the tower and if we secure enough funding we will add the tower at a later phase 2.