Community 'gutted' as climbing wall closes

A campaigner has said he is "absolutely gutted" by the closure of a climbing wall after two decades.

Simon Mutter told the BBC he was shocked when it was first announced the climbing wall at K2 Crawley would close on 31 March.

"It's going to be a big loss to Crawley and West Sussex," he told the BBC. "It is an icon in the local area."

Crawley Borough Council said it and operators Everyone Active knew the decision would be "disappointing for the climbing community".

However, it added that market dynamics had changed and the climbing wall was "no longer viable".

Mutter said the Keep Climbing K2 Crawley group had tried its best to find different ways of keeping the wall open, including getting the council to look at other potential commercial operators.

But he continued: "It feels like the decision was made a long time ago."

The climbing enthusiast said "a lot" of people did not want it to close but they "weren't listened to".

"There are plenty of [climbing] centres that do seem to make it work pretty well," he told BBC Radio Sussex.

A petition to keep it open attracted some 2,250 signatures.

Crawley Borough Council said it had listened to concerns and considered whether there may be an alternative to closure.

"This exercise has taken time," a spokesperson said.

"Having reviewed the various expressions of interest, unfortunately there were none which offered a sustainable solution," they added.

Mutter said the nearest climbing walls were now near Brighton or London, which could prevent people from enjoying the sport, especially if they do not have a car.

He added the community at K2 was "just so lovely".

Mutter described how people had written "heartfelt" messages thanking the climbing wall for all the good memories.

One person disclosed they had met their wife there, he continued.

The 12-metre climbing wall opened in 2005 as part of a £37m leisure centre development, after an 18-month build.

The wall is set to be replaced with a soft play area, with work expected to start in early April.

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