Knaresborough Civic Society has objected to the borough council’s proposals for a new leisure centre saying it isn’t future proof or in-keeping with the town’s heritage.

The chair of Knaresborough Civic Society, Bill Rigby, has said the current plans don’t acknowledge the climate crisis and criticises the council for choosing to tear down a building rather than adapting it.

He said the civic society is unanimous in its opinion that the current building could be re-developed to suit the town’s growing population.

Mr Rigby added that the civic society supports the investment and provision of a new leisure centre but said it was important for the group to ensure it is future proof for the next generation:

“In the present climate, especially following COP26, I don’t think we’ve been strategic with these plans or addressed the environmental impact. Surely we should be rebuilding rather than destroying? In terms of the economics it would be much cheaper too.”

The Civic Society’s concerns

In its official objection response to Harrogate Borough Council in regards to the plans the society said:

• Is there is a recognised need for any expansion of the existing swimming pool. What evidence by way or research or public consultation or survey exists to establish that there is such a need?
• Does the pool need to be expanded from four to six lanes or can the opening hours be increased?
• We are not satisfied that the council has investigated properly the much cheaper and less disruptive alternative of renewing the services within the existing structure which is only 30 years old and has recently been refurbished.
• Concerns over the loss of the safely ensconced playground and the felling of 21 mature trees
• Looks like an industrial warehouse
• We believe that this proposal will also not meet the environmental and climate saving credentials of the Council.

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Alternative plan

The civic society said it had seen a new set of plans produced by local architects on behalf of the community which aim to be sustainable and use the current building as its base.

The alternative plans

One of the people involved in the group putting forward the plans is David Hull who set up the NotOff group to protect Fsyche Field from development.

He said the plans are on behalf of a group of locals to offer an alternative proposal that is “cheaper, greener and far less environmental destructive”.

The society’s plans are being offered to Harrogate Borough Council as an alternative option.

Harrogate Borough Council has said it is looking to find UK-based engineers to help fix ongoing maintenance problems at Knaresborough Swimming Pool.

The council announced last month that its manufacturer, based in Spain, was unable to send engineers over to fix the pool equipment because lockdown rules prevent them from travelling.

Council bosses said the pool has an “ongoing problem” with its filtration system, which is nearly 30 years old, and requires specialist engineers to attend to it.

It means the facility is expected to be closed for the coming months, but others in the district – such as the Hydro in Harrogate – will reopen on April 12.

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• Knaresborough pool stays closed with engineers stuck in Spain
• Two-thirds support Knaresborough leisure centre site
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Having faced some criticism on social media, the authority has said it is working with its contractor to find a “UK-based solution” to fix the problem.

A council spokeswoman said:

“There is an ongoing issue with the main filtration system at Knaresborough Swimming Pool that is nearing 30-years-old.

“Due to the specialist nature of the equipment required and complexity of the work involved, only a single bid received through the tender process met this requirement.

“The contractor appointed specialist engineers from Spain – who have experience of fixing aging swimming pools – to carry out this work. Which, due to the travel restrictions, has meant they are currently unable to do so.

“We are having on-going conversations with the contractor to see if we can find a UK-based solution, but at the moment there is no alternative.

“We understand residents’ frustrations and are equally as disappointed that the pool cannot open in the coming weeks.

“As soon as we have an update we will let our customers know.”

It comes as Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats called for “greater transparency” over its closure after the council announced it would not be open in April.

Local party campaigner, Matt Walker, wrote to Cllr Stan Lumley, cabinet member for leisure, calling for the pool to reopen as soon as possible.

Knaresborough pool is due to be demolished and replaced by a new leisure facility on the same location.

A total of 69 per cent of survey respondents “strongly agree” the new leisure centre should be built on the existing site.

Harrogate Borough Council chose the current site on King James Road as its preferred option in November.

The subsequent six-week consultation, which attracted 471 responses, found widespread agreement.

Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough House and Hay-a-Park were the other options.

A thousand residents signed a petition to save Conyngham Hall when it was named as a possible location.

Plans for the new leisure centre, which could be built by the end of 2023, include a 25-metre pool and a gym.

Several supportive comments said using the same site would protect green spaces elsewhere from development.

Another response described it as the “perfect location .. best location for this development …the site is already there”.

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Some people suggested other locations would better suit the development. They included the new housing developments on Boroughbridge Road and St James retail park.

Knaresborough Pool is set to remain closed for the foreseeable, despite new lockdown measures. The council has said engineers from Spain are unable to travel to the town to make the repairs.

How do you feel about the new leisure centre in Knaresborough? Do you agree with the preferred location or are changes needed? Let us know via contact@thestrayferret.co.uk.

Knaresborough swimming pool is set to remain closed for the coming months with engineers unable to travel due to covid restrictions.

Harrogate Borough Council said, in a residents’ newsletter released yesterday, that the equipment was in need of urgent repairs.

The council added that manufacturer, based in Spain, was unable to send engineers over to fix the equipment due to the current travel bans.

It has said the pool will remain closed until further notice.

Under the Prime Minister’s roadmap out of lockdown the ban on international travel is set to be reviewed in the third stage on May 17. This could leave Knaresborough residents without their pool for another three months.

In the meantime, the Hydro in Harrogate, Nidderdale leisure centre and pool and Ripon leisure centre will open on 12 April.

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The council has also said it won’t be able to reopen Ripon Spa or Starbeck Baths from April 12. This is because many of the staff have been redeployed to frontline services.

The council didn’t offer a further comment at the time of publication.

Harrogate district residents are being invited to have their say on where a new leisure centre in Knaresborough should be built.

Harrogate Borough Council is consulting on its plans to build the new centre, which will include a swimming pool and gym, on the site of the current swimming pool in Knaresborough.

The council chose the current leisure centre site as its preferred option for the development last month ahead of Knaresborough House, Hay-a-Park, Conyngham Hall and a site on Halfpenny Lane.

It is now offering residents the chance to give their views.

The consultation document says the leisure centre will serve the “east of the district” rather than just Knaresborough, which will do little to calm fears Starbeck Baths will close.

The document also highlights how 150-year-old Starbeck Baths and the current Knaresborough leisure centre are “aging and have significant operational and unplanned maintenance issues and will not meet the future needs of their users”.

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The survey asks residents if they agree with the council’s choice of preferred site. Survey participants can also express their reasons for agreeing or disagreeing.

The consultation, which ends on January, 18, can be found here.

The plans for Knaresborough are in conjunction with refurbishment plans for the Harrogate Hydro. It is expected to cost over £26 million.

The council has appointed Alliance Leisure, a Somerset-based company, to develop the plans.