THE owners of a climbing wall centre in Bingley which closed due lease changes have revealed they will not reopen the business elsewhere.

The Climbing Barn and car repair firm, Savi Autocentre, were both tenants at the Ryshworth Works site, off Keighley Road, Crossflatts, behind the former Bradford & Bingley offices.

Both businesses had initially expected their original five-year leases, agreed in 2009, to be repeated, believing they could stay in place as long as Government-run UK Asset Resolution (UKAR), which operates from the former B&B offices, continued there.

But, in March this year, both businesses were told by UKAR that it intended to sell the site and were only offered one-year extensions to the leases.

Savi Auto Centre has since taken up that offer but Ruth Beers who ran the Climbing Barn with husband John, said they had now closed permanently the business, for which they had borrowed £200,000 to set it up, due to unbearable pressures.

"And we will never re-open there or anywhere - it's the end of a dream," Mrs Beers said.

"It was John's dream to open a climbing wall and I guess we did that and made a lot of people very happy."

Mrs Beers, 44, who said she delayed an important medical operation for five months while trying to save the business which had been profitable, said: "We did try everything to keep it going right up until the end, but it was just too much.

"Now life will be all about health and family - we all need to get better and heal after this."

Mum-of-two Mrs Beers also confirmed they had refunded all deposits which had been paid for upcoming children's events.

THRIVING BUSINESSES IN SHOCK AFTER BEING GIVEN NOTICE TO QUIT THEIR RENTED PREMISES

"We contacted everyone last week and paid back deposits on children's parties, which was important so parents could book somewhere else," she said, adding that they had been touched by the level of local support for the Climbing Barn.

"John and I wanted to make a place people would enjoy and we did - it's such a sad end," Mrs Beers said.

UKAR was set up by the Government in 2010 to wind down the mortgage books of the B&B, which was nationalised in 2008, and Northern Rock.

Its spokesman previously said that it had offered to help both businesses relocate and it had effectively given them 18 months' notice.

"We shared our intentions with both businesses six months ago and have offered to extend both leases by another year, meaning we have given them18 months in which to find new premises," its spokesman said.

"However, our primary obligation is to maximise value for taxpayers and we believe the sale of these property interests is the best way to achieve this.”