FAQs
General
At the moment this is just a proposal. We are asking people to share their comments through the survey so we can fully understand everyone’s views and concerns before making any decisions.
A decision is expected to be made in Summer 2026 and construction expected to begin in Winter 2026.
In recent years the climbing wall has continued to run at a financial loss for Plymouth Active Leisure. Significant investment is needed to continue to meet safety standards and compete with these other facilities.
Also, it is a very specialist facility serving a relatively small number of regular users. Soft play would help much larger numbers – particularly children and families – build movement skills, confidence and positive habits that lead into future sport and activity.
We would need to invest considerable sums of money into ensuring the climbing wall continues to meet the relevant safety standards and can compete with similar facilities in the city. We estimate this to be around £40,000 this year and around half a million pounds to replace equipment when it reaches ‘end-of-life’.
Why climbing is potentially being replaced
No decisions have been made about the future of the climbing wall but we can say it would need investment of around £40,000 this year to replace aged equipment.
Over the last 12 months there have been 208 regular members and an additional 500 members of the public who registered to climb either on an ad hoc basis or as a one-off.
In total Plymouth Active Leisure has over 50,000 individuals taking part in activities at the Plymouth Life Centre annually, with over 875,000 visits, of which less than two per cent are climbing.
Expenses exceed income and this has increased year-on-year over the past three years.
Due to the development of new climbing facilities in Plymouth, and following a review of income over the past five years, there is no certainty that the investment in the climbing facilities would be recouped.
This was considered but there just isn’t the space to accommodate both types of facility and they wouldn’t complement each other – they offer very different types of activity for different user groups.
Yes there are a number of public and private facilities in Plymouth and the surrounding area:
The Climbing Hangar, Burrington Way, PL5 3LX
- Bouldering centre, café and training area, featuring accessible routes for various abilities
Clip N Climb Plymouth, 17 Brest Rd, Plymouth PL6 5AA
- Rock climbing
- Launching adult only sessions
- Mini Mountaineers aged 2 to 4
- SEN sessions
- 44 indoor climbing lines
The Barn Climbing Centre, Eastacott Barton, Tavistock, PL19 0QP
- Rope lines
- Beginner courses
- Bouldering
- Lead wall 9.5 metres
The Quay Climbing Centre, Haven Rd, Exeter EX2 8AX
- South West’s largest lead wall
- 7 to 15 M walls, 81 roped lines.
Private or specialist:
Mount Batten Watersport & Acitivites Centre
70 Lawrence Rd, Mount Batten, Plymouth PL9 9SJ
Plymouth Marjon University
Derriford Rd, Plymouth PL6 8BH
Impact on climbers and the climbing community
There are just over 200 regular users of the climbing wall and we would encourage them to take part in the survey so we can fully understand how the changes would impact on them.
Refunds would be issued to annual members but monthly memberships are not subject to contract.
Yes, we will be communicating directly with climbing wall users and encouraging them to share their comments.
Soft play offers a way to get children moving earlier. It creates a gateway into activity – developing balance, coordination, strength and confidence in a fun, informal way – and provides a natural pathway into swimming, gymnastics and other activities already based at the Life Centre. It also brings more families into the building, helping to secure the financial future of the centre as a whole.
The proposed soft play facility would allow significantly more children and families to use this space every day – up to around 380 people, including children and their carers, at any one time – and transform the space from offering a specialist activity into something that supports much wider participation.
About the proposed soft play
Children up to the age of 12.
With five floors, it will be one of the largest soft play spaces in the UK, with a capacity of up to 300 (although we would limit sessions to 175 to ensure comfort and access to all amenities).
We have reviewed pricing of soft play spaces across Devon and are confident that we can provide a competitive, affordable option. There will also be targeted sessions for looked-after children and through the Fit and Fed programme.
- It will be a five-storey attraction, themed around Britain’s Ocean City, with:
- a Dartmoor-inspired adventure zone
- Multiple slides and drops
- Hidden Treasure troves
- an ocean-themed play area
- an innovation and discovery-focused level
- a Barbican-inspired role-play street, featuring recognisable local businesses.
It will also include inclusive multi-level play structures alongside sensory and adaptive play for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, and a new creche. This ensures the facility is accessible, welcoming, and representative of the whole community.
By embedding familiar Plymouth landmarks and businesses into the design, the space will foster a strong sense of place, identity and belonging from an early age and support the development of active citizenship.
Health, wellbeing and inclusion
Soft play contributes to children’s development in many ways, including:
- Motor skills (including hand–eye coordination and movement literacy)
- Decision-making
- Cooperation and teamwork
- Problem solving
- Sensory stimulation
- Spatial awareness
- Exploration and discovery
- Imagination and themed play
Structured sport is not for everyone – what is important is movement. Soft play is an activity that is open to all children.
By bringing more children into the centre from an early age we create a pathway into future participation in structured activities and sport.
Impact on the wider Life Centre
The proposed changes to the Plymouth Life Centre will not only enhance the lives of children and families in Plymouth, but is fully costed to support the long-term sustainability of Plymouth Active Leisure’s new 20-year contract. By increasing overall usage and sustainability of the Life Centre, it will help secure and strengthen the future operation of Plymouth Active across all facilities while delivering clear social value for the city.
The Life Centre will not need to close for construction. Works can be delivered one element at a time, with no impact to the sports hall, swimming pool, gym facilities or wider centre.
Staff and employment
Our aim is to ensure staff are retained wherever possible. We will work with team members to explore:
- redeployment within other areas of Plymouth Active Leisure
- employment within the new soft play provision
- adjustments to roles, duties or hours
If changes result in a new or different offer, affected employees will be made aware of vacancies and encouraged to apply (where suitable).
Petitions
Plymouth City Council does not accept e-petitions that are created or submitted through third party websites. If someone wishes to start an e-petition they should use the Council’s e-petition system. Further information can be found at www.plymouth.gov.uk/our-petition-policy.