Keswick Climbing Wall – HELP! We need your support.

A planning application has been lodged with the Lake District Planning Board to temporarily relocate Keswick Climbing Wall from its present site at the Southey Industrial Estate Keswick to Goosewell Farm, Keswick. The Climbing Wall’s lease on the Southey Estate site ended on the 31^st of October 2008 and Newlands Adventure Centre stepped in last June to try and save this important facility from closure.

For the last 14 years, Keswick Climbing Wall has been a valuable and well used facility in Keswick; supporting not only the many local schools, outdoor centres and youth groups in the area but offering the many thousands of visitors to Keswick the chance to ‘have a go’, regardless of the weather.

An extensive search is still being made for a suitable permanent venue and the Goosewell site was proposed as a temporary measure after discussions with the Planning Board. The Goosewell site would not only allow the wall to continue to be used by schools, groups, outdoor centres and clubs but would also make good use of a redundant farm building on a site which, though out of town, is on a regular bus route.

Andy Hunter, Head of Centre at Cumbria Outdoors said: “Keswick Climbing Wall is a really valuable resource for this area and especially for all the Cumbrian schools we cater for at Hawes End. Having an indoor facility in Keswick also reduces the pressure put on the outside crags down the Borrowdale Valley as well as being a great a wet weather alternative. We hope that the planning board will appreciate what an essential asset Keswick Climbing Wall is and support the relocation of the wall”.

The application is being considered by the Lake District National Park planners and it is hoped that they will recognise the importance of this facility and will support the application. If you would like to help keep the climbing wall open, please contact the Lake District National Park planners in writing with your letter of support: By post to: Planning Officer, LDNPA, Murley Moss, Kendal, Cumbria, LA9 7RL or by email:
planning@lake-district.gov.uk

Or for Further details please contact 

Debbie Beamont
Newlands Adventure Centre
Stair
Keswick
Cumbria
CA12 5UF
017687 78463

This article was posted on Tuesday, November 18th, 2008 at 10:38 am and is filed under 2009.