Mepal Outdoor Centre - The Aftermath | WOTF_7 [Fenland 360°] 

World of the Fens (in 360°) - 7 | 29th April 2024
Flying solo, Drew explores the former site of Mepal Outdoor Centre for the last time following its demolition in 2021.
Further Information:
Mepal Outdoor Centre - or what’s left of it.
The views expressed throughout this video are my own (Drew).
I decided to revisit Mepal Outdoor Centre ahead of the building works due this summer for East Cambridgeshire District Council's crematorium - plans for which were construed as very 'cloak and dagger' due to the secretive nature of the development and exclusion of the press and public until it all got to an advanced stage.
The buildings and structures of MOC were demolished at the end of 2021 but the site’s former use was as a gravel pit but during the 1960s. The lake was later adopted for sailing purposes and two decades later, facilities at the site were expanded to become a hub of outdoor activities - home to a new centre of education, adventure and recreation.
MOC was a popular attraction but wasn't immune from financial troubles and vandalism - an arson attack in late 2016 ultimately resulted in the centre’s closure and it never reopened.
Locals to this much loved and missed venue were hopeful that the centre would reopen but were later taken aback in 2020 by the news that the council responsible for the site had secretly developed plans to demolish MOC and erect a crematorium in its place.
The news was met with outrage and a petition launched in an attempt to save the centre, but this was shot down in flames - of 2,400 signatures from those in neighbouring settlements and communities, only a few hundred of them were deemed valid - the rest, ‘irrelevant’ as they were from the Fenland district, with MOC situated on its border, but in the East Cambs district.
A personal note from Drew:
I don’t get involved in politics, I don’t support any political party and I’ve never voted - that’s not to say I don’t believe in the need for democracy, because I do. But I feel the democratic system is fundamentally broken.
I thought councillors were chosen by the people to represent the people - I fail to see how that has happened in this case and it sets a dangerous precedent for the future if it’s allowed to go unaddressed.
I’m not going to tell you who’s who and ultimately responsible for all this - but the information is out there - I urge you to do your research on the matter, inform yourselves and vote accordingly in any upcoming elections.