Call for roundabout to replace lights at key Ripon junctionA ‘jumble of traffic lights’ at the four-way junction linking the Morrisons Supermarket site with the Ripon to Harrogate Road, Moorside and Quarry Moor Lane, is causing confusion for motorists that may lead to accidents.
That’s the conclusion of Ripon City Council, which is calling for the numerous sets of lights to be replaced by a single roundabout.
Speaking at the July full meeting of the council, leader Andrew Williams, said:
“We have recently had two serious accidents at this junction and it’s just fortunate that neither of them involved fatalities.
“We have a jumble of traffic lights and lanes at this junction – some for vehicles turning in to Morrisons, some for them turning out and, adding to the confusion, there are also turns for Moorside and Quarry Moor Lane.
“The junction would be a lot safer if it were served by a roundabout.”
Fellow councillors were in agreement and the call to North Yorkshire for the roundabout will go alongside a request for further road re-surfacing in and around Ripon city centre.
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The potholes have gone from Princess Road
North Yorkshire highways bosses have often had a rough ride when it comes to concerns raised by city councillors about potholed roads, but there was praise for them at the council meeting, as members said they were happy with the resurfacing work carried out on St Mary’s Gate, Minster Road and Princess Road.
Councillor Pauline McHardy said:
“A good job was done by the contractor employed by Harrogate Borough Council to resurface Cathedral Car Park and make the spaces wider and North Yorkshire has done a similarly good job with its recent resurfacing work.”
It was, however, agreed that there is still a long way to go before Ripon is rid of its pothole problems.
Cllr Williams, who was elected onto the North Yorkshire authority in May has taken senior officers and Cllr Keane Duncan, the newly appointed executive member for highways and transportation, on guided tours of the city’s uneven streets.
It is hoped that money can be allocated in forward budgets for repair and renewal works to be carried out.
Cllr Williams, pointed out:
“We visited a number of problem areas, including the four roads around Market Square, Dallamires Lane and Blossomgate and I explained that the people of Ripon would like to have all of them brought up to the standard of the newly-resurfaced roads that we now have in the city”
New Ripon playground gets thumbs-up on openingA new children’s play area in Ripon opened for families today.
The Dallamires Playground is part of the city’s new £15m Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre on Dallamires Lane. The pool is set to open on Wednesday.
The playground seems to have gone down well on social media, with posts from parents saying it looks like “so much fun” and “wonderful for little kids”.
The play area can be accessed from a public footpath off Knaresborough Road.
Three-year-old Lottie (pictured in our main image), was one of the first children to play on one of the slides.
Her mum Kim said:
“it’s a lovely new play area for families to bring children to from this part of the city.”
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Stray Ferret banned from today’s Ripon pool media openingThe Stray Ferret was refused entry to Ripon’s new leisure centre today by staff from Harrogate Borough Council.
Our Ripon reporter Tim Flanagan, who lives in the city, was turned away by a council press officer when he arrived shortly before 2pm.
Tim was told today’s event at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre was for councillors only and separate arrangements would be made for the press at a later date.
It later transpired that several other media outlets were allowed to look around the new complex today to provide coverage ahead of Wednesday’s opening date.
Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, who witnessed the incident, said it appeared Harrogate Borough Council was censoring media organisations that asked “legitimate questions” about the way public money is spent and this was “totally unacceptable”.
The Stray Ferret has led on coverage of delays to the construction of the pool and mounting costs, as well as concerns about sinkholes. The pool was due to be ready nine months ago and the leisure centre project is £4m over budget.
Part of the site remains closed for further work after a void — a gap below the surface — was discovered last year.
‘Totally unacceptable’
Cllr Williams, said:
“I can confirm that Harrogate Borough Council’s PR officer told the Stray Ferret journalist that he was not able to look around the new swimming pool and that today’s event was for councillors only and a separate event for the press is yet to be organised and the Stray Ferret will be invited to this.
“I now understand that other media was invited around today and if it’s a case that Harrogate Borough Council has adopted a censorship policy that bars media who ask legitimate questions on the way that public money is spent, this is totally unacceptable in a democracy and is more like the way that Vladimir Putin handles affairs in Russia.”
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The Stray Ferret has reported concerns by Ripon-based chartered engineer Stanley Mackintosh about the wisdom of the council building a swimming pool on land with a history of ground instability issues.
Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, has also raised safety concerns — as covered by the Stray Ferret.
We have also reported concerns about the proposed price hike for Ripon City Swimming Club to use the pool to teach swimming.
‘No lifeguards on duty’
A council spokesman said:
“Tim wasn’t banned from entering the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre today.
“Today’s invite was for Ripon city councillors to have a first-look at the facility before it opens on Wednesday. As we explained to the councillors, there are still some finishing touches to complete and them to be mindful while walking around the new pool.
“There were also no lifeguards on duty so we needed to be cautious about the number of people poolside.”
The Stray Ferret replied by asking if it was a councillors-only event why other media outlets were allowed to attend.
The spokesman said:
“Tim wasn’t refused entry and others allowed in; BBC Look North and ITV Calendar had a first-look this morning and we were limited on time.”
The statement did not mention that local media were also invited — but not the Stray Ferret.
We were subsequently invited to an invitation to view the centre tomorrow.
Ripon pool and leisure centre to open next weekRipon’s new leisure centre and pool will open on Wednesday, it was announced this afternoon.
Harrogate Borough Council has just published a series of tweets announcing the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre on Dallamires Lane will welcome its first visitors at 6.30am.
The facilities include a 25-metre six-lane pool and sauna and steam room.
The council said in a statement:
“The new six-lane 25m swimming pool has 70 per cent more water space compared to Ripon Spa Baths and has a wealth of improvements that come with modern swimming facilities.
“These include the AngelEye pool safety system that, with the use of underwater cameras, assists lifeguards to detect whether swimmers are in danger or drowning.
“The new pool will be open every day of the week and offers customers a variety of different activities, including general and family swim, swimming lessons and Aquafit, as well as a sauna suite.
“Outside, a new car park has been installed along with a sheltered cycle rack, electric car charging points and a new play area.”
The pool was due to be ready nine months ago and the project is currently £4m over budget.
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Still no opening date for Ripon’s new swimming poolThere is still no opening date for Ripon’s new swimming pool as the multi-million pound project continues to run over budget and into more construction problems.
Harrogate Borough Council had originally aimed to open the pool in May 2021, but the project is now nine months overdue and £4 million over budget.
This is after several construction problems, most recently including a fault in the lining of the pool. An underground void has also been discovered at the adjoining leisure centre site which has prompted an £110,000 investigation.
Cllr Stanley Lumley, cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport at the council, previously said he anticipated the pool would open in January.
But the council has now confirmed that a revised opening date has still not been set.
Speaking in December, Cllr Lumley said:
“New swimming pools go through a significant amount of testing to ensure they are safe to use for years to come and provide the best experience for the customer.
“During the testing period of the new six-lane 25-metre swimming pool at the leisure centre on Dallamires Road in Ripon, an issue was identified with the lining of the pool.
“In order to resolve this issue, Myrtha – the pool manufacturer – will be carrying out additional work, at no expense to the borough council, to prepare the pool for opening.”
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The council awarded a £10 million contract for the pool build to construction firm Willmott Dixon in January 2020. As of last month, £13,422,309 had been spent on the project with a further £584,690 allocated.
The leisure centre
This includes money spent on investigation works after the underground void was discovered at the site. It was found in 2020, but only became public knowledge last May when the investigation launched.
These works are currently underway and are likely to continue into spring.
Gypsum deposits
Initial studies suggest there has been a “significant deterioration” of the ground beneath the older half of the centre which was built in 1995 and like much of Ripon sits on gypsum deposits.
It is likely that ground strengthening works will be needed, although the council has insisted the leisure centre is still “safe to use”.
The new pool is being built as a replacement for Ripon Spa Baths which closed in November, leaving the city without a pool for the last three months.
The 116-year-old baths was put up for sale by the council in a move which sparked concerns that the venue could lose its community use and also prompted Ripon City Council to successfully apply for the building to be nominated as an asset of community value.
This protected status means any sale has now been put on hold for several months to allow time for community bids to come forward.
Hot Seat: Building a £117m business in Ripon over 40 yearsIn 1982, Geoff Brown and four colleagues started a modest agricultural machinery business called Ripon Farm Services.
The firm, which took on John Deere and Land Rover franchises, began with 19 members of staff and budgeted to generate £1.1 million in its first year.
Now, as the company celebrates its 40th anniversary, it has 270 staff, 12 depots and recorded turnover of £117.2 million for the financial year ending January 31, 2021 — significantly up on the £106.4 million figure for the previous year.
Ripon Farm Services, which is based on Dallamires Lane in Ripon, has become one of the Harrogate district’s biggest and best known employers. It supplies a wide range of new and used equipment from franchises including John Deere, Kuhn, Bailey, Kramer and Stihl.
Mr Brown (left) and a colleague alongside a John Deere tractor.
Mr Brown, who was brought up on a farm and has lived in Burnt Yates all his life, has been at the helm throughout the company’s existence.
Now 76, he remains a director and is keen to drive the business forward for “a while yet”. He adds:
“While I’m OK I will carry on.”
Brexit and Prince Charles
The last 12 months have been hectic, dealing not only with covid but also the impact of Brexit, which has had major repercussions for agriculture.
He also met Prince Charles — not for the first time — at Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show, where Ripon Farm Services always has a big presence.
The two men chatted amiably for some time. Mr Brown says:
“Somebody asked how did I make him laugh. I said I just talked to him. He knows a lot about farming and machinery. I met him previously at the Pateley show. He’s a very down to earth fella.”
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Mr Brown admits the company benefited from the backwind that British agriculture enjoyed in the 1980s and 1990s but thriving over four decades is testimony to far more than luck. He says:
“It’s just been steady growth since we started.”
Ripon Farm Services at the Great Yorkshire Show
61-year career
Mr Brown’s working life spans a remarkable 61 years. He started in 1961 at Glovers of Ripon, a car and agricultural machinery dealer.
Glovers was taken over by Appleyards in 1965, which lost the Massey Ferguson franchise the following year and consequently took on one of the first John Deere dealerships in the UK.
In 1966 Mr Brown was promoted to John Deere demonstrator at Appleyards.
Geoff Brown at Ripon Farm Services’ New Year Show last month.
When Appleyards sold its agricultural business in 1982 — something Mr Brown heard about when he was setting up the stand at the Great Yorkshire Show — it paved the way for something new.
So by October than year Mr Brown, along with Maurice Hymas, Bill Houseman and two other directors, had set-up Ripon Farm Services.
Selling Land Rover
Regrets? Just a few. The company sold its Land Rover franchise in 2016. Mr Brown says:
“They wanted us to move to Harrogate or Knaresborough and sell Jaguars but I didn’t want to do either of those things and now, ironically, they have relented and dealers don’t have to sell Jaguars.”
Ripon Farm Services continues to be synonymous with the distinctive John Deere green. It’s a truly international set-up: a British firm, selling American machinery all around the world. Mr Brown says:
“We export a lot of tractors and combine harvesters. Our biggest overseas markets are Poland and Spain.”
He acknowledges Brexit has caused some bumps but “it hasn’t stopped us”.
British farmers still face uncertainty about what payments will replace the loss of EU subsidies but Mr Brown remains optimistic about the future for farmers:
“As long as the government looks after them and gets something in place of the grants I can’t see it being a problem. The good ones will still be around.”
Will Ripon’s new pool open this month?An opening date for Ripon’s new swimming pool has still to be announced.
Harrogate Borough Council said on November 26 that the planned opening on December 8 had been postponed to an unspecified date in January. The delay was attributed to a fault in the lining of the pool.
In mid-December, when the council announced the multi-million pound leisure protect would be named the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, in honour of the Olympic diving hero and former Ripon Grammar School student, the council said the pool would be opening “early in the new year”.
But with less than two weeks of January remaining, no opening date has been revealed.
A council spokesman told the Stray Ferret it “should have further news in the coming days”.
Ripon has been without a public swimming pool for more than two months since Spa Baths closed on November 7.
The new pool and leisure centre has been beset by historic issues of ground stability that affect the Camp Close site at Dallamires Lane. It was originally due to be completed in May 2021 and cost £10.2 million, but it is currently eight months overdue and £4 million over budget.
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Conservative councillor Stanley Lumley, the council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, which operates the district’s leisure centres, said at the time the fault was found:
“New swimming pools go through a significant amount of testing to ensure they are safe to use for years to come and provide the best experience for the customer.
“During the testing period of the new six-lane 25metre swimming pool at the leisure centre on Dallamires Road in Ripon, an issue was identified with the lining of the pool.
“We understand this is disappointing but would like to reassure you we are working as quickly and as thoroughly as possible to open the pool as soon as we can.”
Harrogate district recycling centres appeal for Christmas toys for kidsHarrogate district residents are being urged to donate toys and games at household waste recycling centres in the run up to Christmas.
The aim is to collect 10 tonnes of items, which will be passed on to young people, aged up to 16, who are experiencing hardship this Christmas.
The Re-use Santa Appeal is working with No Wrong Door, which supports young people in or on the edge of the care system at centres in Harrogate and Scarborough, on the initiative.
No Wrong Door replaces traditional council-run young people’s homes with hubs that combine residential care with fostering.
Staff at the county’s recycling centres, which are operated by Yorwaste on behalf of North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council, will ensure donations are in good working condition before they are delivered to children.
The gifts will be given as part of a Christmas family bag to families in North Yorkshire and York. Surplus items will be distributed to other charities.
There are three recycling centres in the Harrogate district: on Wetherby Road and Penny Pot Lane in Harrogate and on Dallamires Crescent in Ripon. Drop-off points are located by the containers for household reusable items. Donations will be accepted until December 15.
The sites are also taking donations of new or part-used Christmas wrapping paper and tape as part of the appeal.
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County Councillor Derek Bastiman, executive member for waste management at North Yorkshire County Council, said:
“Christmas is a time of good will. So we’re asking families who can to add a little light to the festive season this year for many children who are less fortunate.
“I encourage people to check their cupboards for any unwanted toys and games and to donate them in the confidence that their items will go to a good home.”
Last Christmas, people donated more than 2,000 games, toys, puzzles and books, including air hockey tables, dolls’ houses, Nerf guns, bicycles and giant teddy bears.
Cllr Paula Widdowson, executive member for environment and climate change at City of York Council, added:
“It’s critical the donations are clean, well-cared for and in full working order. Thank you once again to everyone who supports this appeal.”
Ripon pool delay not linked to sinkhole issues, says councilHarrogate Borough Council has said “categorically” that a delay to the opening of Ripon’s new swimming pool is not linked to ground stability issues and the threat of sinkholes.
The six-lane pool on Dallamires Lane was due to open on December 8 but the council said on Friday this had been delayed because a fault with the lining of the pool had been found during testing. The pool is now due to open in January but no precise date has been confirmed.
A council spokesman said pool manufacturer Myrtha would be carrying out additional work to fix the problem, at no extra cost to the council.
A swimming pool liner is a vinyl surface that is attached to the walls and floor of a pool to help keep in the water.
There have been long-standing concerns about sinkholes on the land the pool has been built on. But a council spokesman said the two issues were not linked.
“We can categorically confirm that this issue is related to the lining of the pool and not a ground stability issue.”
Harrogate Borough Council closed Ripon Spa Baths last month in anticipation of the new pool opening. The delay to the Dallamires Lane pool means there is nowhere to go for a swim in Ripon until the new year.
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Concerns have again been raised recently that the site could be permanently plagued by the threat of sinkholes.
This month, a council-commissioned report by engineering company Stantec outlined measures to mitigate the effects of a void that was detected last year.
Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, called for the council to postpone a decision on the measures and give greater consideration to finding an alternative site.
Senior councillors voted to press ahead with plans to carry out further work while opening most of the site.
The Stray Ferret revealed last week that Ripon’s new leisure project is now more than £4m over budget.
Council presses ahead with plans to open Ripon leisure centre despite safety fearsHarrogate Borough Council has voted to press ahead with plans to open a new leisure centre and pool in Ripon next month despite concerns about the long-term safety of the site.
A new council-commissioned report by engineering company Stantec outlines measures to mitigate the effects of a void that was detected last year.
The report says the measures should allow the pool and the first floor of the leisure centre to open safely on December 8 while the ground floor remains closed.
But it adds there is a “residual risk” of “catastrophic collapse” because of ongoing ground instability issues at the Dallamires Lane site since the original leisure centre was built in 1995.
This prompted Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, and Stanley Mackintosh, a chartered engineer in Ripon, to write to the council urging it to postpone a decision and give greater consideration to finding an alternative site.
But at last night’s cabinet meeting, councillors voted unanimously in support of a recommendation by Michael Constantine, the council’s head of operations, to carry out further work while opening most of the site.
Dr Thompson and Mr Mackintosh’s concerns were not mentioned.
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Mr Constantine said work would probably start in January and last nine months, during which time the ground floor of the leisure centre will be closed.
Michael Constantine at last night’s meeting
He said the council had been “assured by consultants” that this course of action was safe.
Councillor Stanley Lumley, the cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said:
“We have to follow the advice of the professionals. That’s why we pay them, why we employ them. We should surely act on that advice given.”
Council leader Richard Cooper added:
“We are providing a state of the art swimming pool for the people of Ripon to replace a pool that could have collapsed at any time.”