Droylsden is to be home to a state-of-the-art climbing and adventure centre which will be unique to the north west.
Work has already started on the new Sky High visitor attraction, being developed by Active Tameside in partnership with Tameside Council at Active Medlock in the town
The attraction, due to open in the summer, seizes on the climbing craze which is currently sweeping the UK and will be packed with a range of exciting challenges.
The number of registered climbers in the UK has tripled from 25,000 to 75,000 people since 1990 and the sport has been further boosted by the record-breaking 3,000ft climb of the El Capitan, sheer granite rock-face in California earlier this year.
The centre will also cater for schools, young people and adults with a disability or additional needs, corporate team building, youth groups and parties.
The Sky High climbing centre is only the fifth to be built in England, the nearest one is in the North East. It is being funded by Active Tameside, backed by Tameside Council, with the investment expected to more than pay for itself within 10 years.
It will include high-flying, indoor climbing activities for all ages, including the ‘Skyscraper’ – a death-defying climb up the side of a building, the ‘Leap of Faith’ – a jump from a series of platforms suspended in mid air and the ‘Iron Chimney’ – a vertical climb up the inside of a narrow tower.
There will also be a Commando Climb Gym, a Speed Climbing challenge and an illuminated climbing challenge up ’The Dark Tower’ as well as an indoor caving feature, indoor high ropes, a soft play area, a large multi-use activity room, party rooms and a new cafeteria.
Tameside Council Executive Leader and Droylsden East Councillor Kieran Quinn said: “This is great news for Tameside and Droylsden. Families are a key priority for the Council and this facility will ensure that the borough has a range of opportunities to be active and improve their health and wellbeing. Sky High is a unique facility in Greater Manchester and the investment will be returned many times over – not just financially but also in terms of health and fun for all the family”.
Active Tameside has worked with Tameside Council to relocate current users of the sports hall at Active Medlock to other sports facilities across Tameside.
Chief Executive of Active Tameside Mark Tweedie said: “Sky High is a fantastic new facility for Tameside and a great way to promote fitness through fun and exercise.
“With the investment in schools programme, we have an over-supply of sports halls in the borough. Users of the sports hall at Active Medlock have been supported to relocate to other sports facilities such as those at Fairfield High School and Denton Community College.”
