[Will Hunt]

As of 21st September, The Barn in Crossflatts is closed. This is a real NNFN for me as it now leaves me with two options for indoor climbing over the winter months, both of which are considerably further to travel.

The Barn was not the best training facility for the intermediate level climber: not having a huge amount in the way of a 'scene' and not having a huge number of problems; however it was a decent wall and was close at hand. The kids' sessions they ran there seemed fantastic.

The backstory is that The Barn was leased from the former Bradford and Bingley bank, now being managed by the Government set up UKAR. The Barn's directors have invested £200,000 into the business and it has been profitable. However, and here is the rub, the building was on a five year lease! UKAR had given a verbal assurance that the 5 year lease was likely to be renewed. Now it has come down to it, this is not to be. The land packet is to be sold, likely to increase the value of the neighbouring cricket club when it eventually goes the same way - one presumes for housing development.  Apparently UKAR offered to help The Barn relocate but they refused. I'm not sure how feasible it is to relocate a climbing wall that has been specifically designed to fill a certain space anyway.

The rumour (courtesy of two chaps heading into the cricket club) is that inspectors were sent in who "found asbestos". Presumably there is a clause in the contract that allows UKAR to eject a proprietor if this sort of thing is found. How convenient that they should find it now when a fuss is starting to be kicked up and the local libertarian MP has been called in. That's that then.

So I'm annoyed at UKAR for closing down my local wall, but then, who would expect any different from a financial institution? Especially one that is operating to "maximise asset value for the UK taxpayer" (yes, thank you, I'm sure we all feel so much better off). I feel greatly for the Barn's staff who have now lost employment. I empathise with the Barn's directors and feel awful for them, but I'm also annoyed at them for investing so heavily when they had only secured a five year lease - verbal assurance means sweet F.A.!

 

[Oldmanmatt]

As of 21st September, The Barn in Crossflatts is closed. This is a real NNFN for me as it now leaves me with two options for indoor climbing over the winter months, both of which are considerably further to travel.

The Barn was not the best training facility for the intermediate level climber: not having a huge amount in the way of a 'scene' and not having a huge number of problems; however it was a decent wall and was close at hand. The kids' sessions they ran there seemed fantastic.

The backstory is that The Barn was leased from the former Bradford and Bingley bank, now being managed by the Government set up UKAR. The Barn's directors have invested £200,000 into the business and it has been profitable. However, and here is the rub, the building was on a five year lease! UKAR had given a verbal assurance that the 5 year lease was likely to be renewed. Now it has come down to it, this is not to be. The land packet is to be sold, likely to increase the value of the neighbouring cricket club when it eventually goes the same way - one presumes for housing development.  Apparently UKAR offered to help The Barn relocate but they refused. I'm not sure how feasible it is to relocate a climbing wall that has been specifically designed to fill a certain space anyway.

The rumour (courtesy of two chaps heading into the cricket club) is that inspectors were sent in who "found asbestos". Presumably there is a clause in the contract that allows UKAR to eject a proprietor if this sort of thing is found. How convenient that they should find it now when a fuss is starting to be kicked up and the local libertarian MP has been called in. That's that then.

So I'm annoyed at UKAR for closing down my local wall, but then, who would expect any different from a financial institution? Especially one that is operating to "maximise asset value for the UK taxpayer" (yes, thank you, I'm sure we all feel so much better off). I feel greatly for the Barn's staff who have now lost employment. I empathise with the Barn's directors and feel awful for them, but I'm also annoyed at them for investing so heavily when they had only secured a five year lease - verbal assurance means sweet F.A.!

 

It's simple. When you start a business, tying in to a 25 year lease sounds too daunting. You have no idea if your business will succeed. So you opt for a shorter lease with "First option", or an agreed break clause/time.
Getting a commercial mortgage is like pulling teeth, currently, as you will be expected to put up any and all personal property as security.
And on a business less than 5 years old? Good luck sweethearts!

[Stubbs]

Word ont grapevine was that they may be opening somewhere in Skipton, but I don't have anything solid on that.

Always a bit of an odd place, think they missed out putting routes in in the first place, which must have made it really expensive to insure and took up a lot of room. But I know it was well loved by local climbers and will be missed greatly.

Guess we'll be seeing you at the Depot/BUK then!

[Will Hunt]

Sorry Matt, I meant to get back to you but never did. I understand you have first hand experience of this and I don't, but surely you can take a longer lease and if the business isn't working, get out of it somehow? Is that naive of me? And if a longer lease isn't offered then isn't it a warning signal?

Anyway, I don't want to get too much into critiquing someone elses business strategy when I know nothing about that particulars! I do very much hope they can get bigger premises in the Skipton area and push it a bit further right along the scale between Kid's Adventure Playground and The School Room. The upper, urbanised areas of Airedale and Wharfedale, East Lancs, and the surrounds are crying out for a good training facility which isn't a 45 minute drive away! Plenty of climbers around these parts to service it!

[Oldmanmatt]

Sorry Matt, I meant to get back to you but never did. I understand you have first hand experience of this and I don't, but surely you can take a longer lease and if the business isn't working, get out of it somehow? Is that naive of me? And if a longer lease isn't offered then isn't it a warning signal?

Anyway, I don't want to get too much into critiquing someone elses business strategy when I know nothing about that particulars! I do very much hope they can get bigger premises in the Skipton area and push it a bit further right along the scale between Kid's Adventure Playground and The School Room. The upper, urbanised areas of Airedale and Wharfedale, East Lancs, and the surrounds are crying out for a good training facility which isn't a 45 minute drive away! Plenty of climbers around these parts to service it!

Oh no, you can, definitely and I would strongly recommend it if you want invest a great deal into building a climbing wall!

The difficulty is the psychological leap of faith, akin to making a full body length dyno, to an unknown hold, on dodgy gear, on an upper pitch of El Cap...

With a crap belayer...


In the rain.


It can be very easy to try and play safe.

Unfortunately, nothing is really safe, in any aspect of the climbing world.

Except, perhaps, just taking up knitting instead.

[Russell_B]

Is there any more news on the Skipton wall venture?  There were some murmurings of a small venue in Saltaire area being opened but I think the lack of suitable venues is paying sway to that.  Could have been a private project anyway.

The Barn is missed and, as has been said, the area ripe for a wall.