Knaresborough’s new £17.5 million leisure and wellness centre will open on December 11.

The centre includes a six-lane 25-metre pool, a leisure pool with flume and a 60-station fitness suite.

There is also a studio for group fitness classes, a bespoke group cycling studio, sauna and steam rooms, a café and an outdoor children’s play area.

The centre has been developed next to the old Knaresborough Pool, which was built in 1990 and last refurbished 20 years ago.

Work on the exterior of the site.

The changing room area.

Cllr Simon Myers, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture and leisure, said:

“I am delighted that we have an opening date for this exciting new leisure provision for Knaresborough – it’s a perfect Christmas gift for the town.

“The local community had long outgrown the old pool – there was a call for fitness provision as well as spaces for classes and post workout relaxation spaces.

“By shifting the service offer from conventional swimming pool provision to a community health and wellbeing service we aim to help people move more, live well, feel great and reduce the proportion of the population that is physically inactive.”

The project is part of a wider £47.9 million investment in leisure provision, including the recently completed refurbishment of Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon.

All the centres are managed day-to-day by Brimhams Active, the council’s health and wellbeing company.

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North Yorkshire Council has confirmed Harrogate Hydro will not re-open until after the school summer holidays.

The Hydro is undergoing a £13.5 million refurbishment and will welcome customers back under the new name Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre.

With schools set to break-up today, many families would have been looking forward to using the swimming pool, which has now been closed for 15 months.

But the Stray Ferret revealed this week that was unlikely to happen.

Nic Harne, corporate director for community development at the council, has now confirmed:

“We had hoped that the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre would be open in late August but, unfortunately, due to unplanned works being required, it will now be early September.

“Refurbishment projects often uncover historic issues that need to be resolved and this complex construction is no different.

The leisure centre in Jennyfields closed in April last year for what was supposed to be a nine-month refurbishment costing £11.9 million.

But January’s scheduled re-opening did not happen. In May, North Yorkshire Council said the cost of the scheme had risen to £13.5 million and customers would be welcomed back in August.

Now the scheme has been pushed back again but there was better luck for leisure centre users in Knaresborough, with news that the town’s new facility has not been further delayed.

Mr Harne said:

“The new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre remains on-track to open in November.”

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Two major local leisure centre projects in Harrogate and Knaresborough have been delayed — and will cost more than expected.

The new North Yorkshire Council gave its first update on the refurbishment of Harrogate Hydro and the construction of Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre today.

It revealed the Hydro is now due to re-open in August following a £13.5 million refurbishment.

The facility, which will be renamed Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre, was originally due to re-open in January this year and the project was due to cost £11.8 million.

But it now won’t be open for the start of the summer holidays.

A council statement today said:

“It had been hoped the new facility would be ready to open earlier in the summer but a number of unanticipated issues with the building were found during the construction process.”

The new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre is due to open in November at a cost of £17.6 million.

The project was initially due to re-open at the end of summer and cost £17 million.

The existing Knaresborough Pool was due to be demolished once the new facility was open.

But to keep construction costs as low as possible, the current pool will close and start to be demolished in early September following the opening of the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre.

It means Knaresborough is likely to be without a pool for two months.

Hydro overhaul

Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre will include a 400 square metre fitness centre, a new sauna and steam suite, improved reception and café, as well an overhaul of the existing gym, spin, leisure and swimming facilities.

The diving structure is also being replaced.

Outside, the building is being remodelled to provide a reconfigured car park, bicycle storage and electric vehicle charging points.

The existing gas boilers have already been replaced with air-source heat pumps and 250 solar panels, as well as new metering and energy monitoring and control systems.

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The energy efficiency measures were made possible by a £1.8 million grant from the government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy public sector decarbonisation scheme, and will halve the carbon footprint of the leisure centre.

The latest delay to the re-opening is to allow improvements to the fire protection of the steel frame, as well as the addition of new wall restraints, the replacement of corroded steelwork and fixing an issue that was causing an air leak and heat loss between the roof and the external walls.]

Today’s statement added:

“As a result of this additional work, the refurbishment project at Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre is now set to be completed by the end of July and will reopen in August, once staff from Brimhams Active have had a chance to familiarise themselves with the health and safety and operating procedures of the improved facility.

“Further details about the official opening will be announced in the coming months.”

Six-lane pool in Knaresborough

Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre, which is being built next to the current Knaresborough Pool, will include a six-lane 25-metre pool, activity pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio, spin studio, café, electric car charging points and bicycle storage.

It will incorporate high-efficiency building materials, air source heat pumps and solar panels to reduce the carbon footprint.

Today’s update said:

“Unfortunately, due to an unavoidable delay involving the new electrical supply to the building, the leisure and wellness centre will now open in November.

Once the existing pool has been demolished, a new play area in front of the new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre will be installed.

Cllr Simon Myers, the council’s executive member for culture, arts and housing, said:

“We want to ensure a healthier, more active population that is living longer and more independently. By investing in leisure facilities, such as this, we can continue to make that happen.

“Unfortunately, refurbishment projects often uncover historic issues that need to be resolved. But by carrying out the work now, the building can conform to the latest legislation, be as energy-efficient as possible and allow people to keep fit and active for many years to come.”

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed the cost of Harrogate Hydro‘s delayed refurbishment has increased by about £1 million to about £12.8 million.

The Stray Ferret reported this month the reopening of the leisure facility, originally scheduled for next month, had been pushed back until summer next year.

The council said this was due to discovering “some additional areas of work that could only have come to light when the building was closed and a strip-out of the internal fabric had taken place”.

In a press release today, the council gave a breakdown of the additional costs, which will be met by taxpayers. They are:

• Replacement of the defective external soffit boarding – £306,893
• Renewal of the existing moveable floor in the diving pool – £299,918
• Replacement of corroded steel frame elements – £330,258.66

The refurbished Hydro will include a pool, new diving structure, 400 square metre fitness suite, sauna and steam suite and new reception and café, as well as a reconfigured car park, bicycle storage and electric vehicle charging points.

The existing gas boilers have been replaced with air-source heat pumps and 250 solar panels, along with new metering and energy monitoring and control systems, which are expected to halve the carbon footprint of the leisure centre.

How the Hydro used to look.

Councillor Stanley Lumley, the council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at the council-controlled Brimhams Active, said:

“At a time when some local authorities across the country are reviewing their investments in leisure facilities, we remain committed to ensuring people across the Harrogate district can keep fit and active for many years to come.

“By carrying out this additional work now, while the facility is closed, we can ensure the building is fit for purpose and can conform to the latest legislation and building regulations.

“And at a time of increasing energy costs, we are helping to offset this by making the leisure centre as energy-efficient as possible. And thanks to a government grant of some £1.8million, it will be able to utilise renewal energy.”

The council added the new leisure and wellness centre In Knaresborough was on target to open at the end next summer.

It will provide a six-lane 25-metre pool, activity pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio, spin studio, café, electric car charging points and bicycle storage.

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The steel frame for the new leisure and wellness centre on King James Road in Knaresborough is starting to take shape.

The centre, which is due to open at the end of next summer, will include a six-lane 25-metre pool, activity pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio, spin studio, café, electric car charging points and cycle storage.

It is being built next to the current leisure centre, which will stay open until the new facility is ready.

Harrogate Borough Council, which is funding the project,  previously said this will be in July next year.

Once it opens, the existing pool will be demolished and replaced by a new play area, which is due to take a further 15 weeks.

The council has appointed Bristol-based firm Alliance Leisure to carry out construction work.

Councillor Stanley Lumley, the council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said in a statement today:

“This new facility for Knaresborough will be a fantastic asset for the town and shows our commitment to investing in leisure provision across the district.”

Councillors Stanley Lumley (left) and Phil Ireland

Councillor Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability and borough councillor for the Knaresborough Aspin and Calcutt ward, said the centre would be “a brilliant addition for the town of Knaresborough”, adding:

“What is also so important is the fact it will be built to BREEAM standard of ‘Excellent’, ensuring that is as energy-efficient as possible to help us achieve our net-zero emissions target.”

The BREEAM standard is based on an assessment of the building’s sustainability and energy performance.

Councillors Phil Ireland and Stanley Lumley with project manager Julian Donnelly.

Civic society view

The centre will be powered by air source heat pumps and solar panels to reduce the carbon footprint.

Andy Grinter, secretary of Knaresborough Civic Society, said it was pleased the centre was not going to be run on gas.

Speaking after a recent civic society visit to the site, Mr Grinter said it was also heartened to hear the council planned to appoint local caterers.

He aded:

“We were disappointed by some aspects of the planning process; in particular the lack of interaction by Harrogate council officers, who appear to have taken decisions without any consultation with residents eg the design of the new play area, which has it seems already been designed, bought and paid for.”

He said senior manager “gave us reassurances that it is on time and on budget” but the society was surprised to discover the centre is only expected to have a shelf life of 25 to 30 years.

Mr Grinter also said the society remained unconvinced there was a need for a new centre and was disappointed by the modern design, close to Knaresborough conservation area. He said:

“I don’t think we will ever be happy about the look of it.”

Main photo shows Councillors Stanley Lumley and Phil Ireland, Alliance Leisure business development manager Sean Nolan and ISG project manager Julian Donnelly.

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Two youth charities aiming to engage Ripon’s young people in positive activities believe they are being hindered by restricted access to recreational facilities.

Fencing installed at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre has made the skate and bike park at Camp Close a no-go area for Inspire Youth’s support vehicle and the outreach sessions delivered from it.

The skate park adjacent to the leisure centre has, in previous years, provided a focal point for meeting with so-called ‘hard to reach’ children.

Jess Ward, founder and chief executive of Inspire Youth, told the Stray Ferret:

“Because we no longer have access to the site with our vehicle, we can’t hold our sessions there.

“That is a blow, because the kids see this as one of few places in Ripon where they can meet with us and talk about their issues, fears and concerns in a confidential way and one in which they will receive a sympathetic hearing.”

Jess Ward, CEO of Inspire Youth (right) is pictured at the Hell Wath football coaching session with Chloe Hickson of Harrogate Town FC (centre) and, from the left, Inspire’s Jodie Edwards, Marie Anderson and Lizzy Wickens

Ms Ward added:

“We are engaging with and supporting young people, some of whom feel they have been marginalised and unfairly blamed for the city’s problems of anti-social behaviour.

“It’s very much a case of giving a dog a bad name, but we are determined that we will not turn our backs on children who need help and encouragement, instead of constant criticism.

“They are our future and need to know that they are members of the community with a valuable contribution to make.”

Jayne Shackleton, Ripon YMCA’s community and development manager, said that young people had told the charity that they miss Inspire Youth’s outreach sessions and want to see them back at the skate park.

She added:

“We will continue to monitor the area and consult with young people and work alongside partners in the hope that the skate park will become and remain a safe, accessible space for young people and meet their needs”.

The original £10.2 million contract for the leisure scheme was to provide a new six-lane swimming pool, a fully refurbished leisure centre, children’s playground, a car park with charging points, in addition to restoration of the football pitch and landscaping of the site.

No ball games this summer at the Camp Close site

More than 14 months after the scheme was initially scheduled for completion, the project is almost £5 million over budget and further, as yet, undisclosed monies are to be committed by Harrogate Borough Council for ground stabilisation work under the leisure centre and provision of a temporary gym on site, while that work is carried out.

In the meantime, the playing fields donated in perpetuity by Alderman Wade for ‘the benefit of the children of Ripon’ will remain fenced off.

Last week, however,  with the support of Ripon Panthers Junior Football Club and Harrogate Town FC coach Chloe Hickson, Inspire Youth organised coaching sessions at Hell Wath and other locations are being sought.

What did the council have to say?

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said that Inspire Youth and the YMCA have not been denied access to the site.

They added:

“The skate park and basketball court are available for everyone to use and can be accessed via Knaresborough Road.

“Our community safety team work proactively with partners in Ripon around engagement with young people. And we encourage both of these organisations to continue do their outreach work in the area.”

In response to the Stray Ferret’s question about when children will be able to play football once more at Camp Close, the spokesperson, said:

“The football pitches will remain fenced off, while we carry out ground stabilisation works at the original Ripon Leisure Centre, to ensure people are kept safe while construction vehicles are moving round the site. This will be restored towards the end of the project.”

The council spokesperson, added:

“The plaque to recognise Alderman Wade will also be reinstated on completion of this multi-million pound investment for the people of Ripon.”

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Knaresborough Civic Society is calling on councillors to reject a £13 million leisure centre in favour of rival proposals for an extension of the town’s swimming pool.

The civic society is supporting plans from the ‘Not on Fysche Field’ campaign group which has produced designs to upgrade the 30-year-old swimming pool as an alternative to its demolition proposed by Harrogate Borough Council.

A recommendation of approval has been made by the council on its own plans at a meeting next Tuesday, and the civic society has cautioned councillors that they must “take full responsibility for the outcome of such a huge decision”.

A civic society spokesperson said: 

“Knaresborough Civic Society urges the planning committee to reject this short-sighted recommendation in favour of an alternative solution which will not result in the loss of mature trees, vital outdoor play facilities and green space.

“We have played an active role in campaigning for a more considered approach to this project and have made our views clear that building on the existing site – as was promised at the public consultation – should be the preferred option.”

The proposed £13 million leisure centre includes a six-lane pool and exercise studios, and has been hailed by the council as a “modern and fit-for-purpose” facility.

However, several concerns have been raised since the plans were first revealed in 2020, particularly over a council-run survey and the environmental impact of demolishing a building to replace it with another.

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The survey on five potential locations for the leisure centre referred to locating it “on the site of the existing pool”, but it was only several months after this that the council revealed it wants to build the facility over a play area behind the existing pool at Fysche Field.

The civic society said demolishing the existing pool would result in “unnecessary damage” to the environment and argued it is at odds with separate council plans to extend The Hydro in Harrogate.

It also raised questions over what the scrapping of Harrogate Borough Council in April 2023 will mean for its proposals and new leisure company Brimhams Active.

A civic society spokesperson said: 

“Sadly many Knaresborough residents who use the play area will only be aware of the loss of valuable community green space when the trees are felled and the diggers move in.

“This would be the wrong decision by a council favouring a company run by councillors that may or may not exist after local government reorganisation in a year’s time.”

If approved, the new leisure centre could be built by the end of 2023.

The other locations previously considered included Knaresborough House, Hay-a-Park, Conyngham Hall and a plot of land at Halfpenny Lane.

Harrogate Borough Council has revealed how its proposed new multi-million pound leisure centre in Knaresborough will look.

The council plans to build the new facility on the site of Knaresborough Pool on King James Road by spring 2023.

The new centre will have a six-lane, 25-metre pool, learner pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio and spin studio.

Designs also show that it will have a café, electric car charging points, bicycle storage and a large play area.

The council has said it would prefer to build the centre towards the rear of the existing pool, where the play park is currently located, rather than build on Fysche field.

Knaresborough Pool would remain open throughout construction. When the new building opens, the council would demolish the existing pool and create a new play area in its place.

An aerial view of the plans.

However, the council is keeping the option of building on Fysche field on the table as “option B” under the plans.

If the council went ahead with building on Fysche field then it would create a new green space in place of Knaresborough Pool.

Some Knaresborough people are concerned Fysche field and the adjoining children’s playground area could be lost and have a launched a campaign to “protect central Knaresborough’s only recreational green space from being concreted over”.

Share your views on the Knaresborough leisure centre plans

The council has now asked for residents to share their views online ahead of a formal planning application. It will also host an in-person consultation at Knaresborough Pool on October 6 between 5pm and 8pm.

Cllr Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, said:

“We have ambitious plans to reduce the proportion of the population that are physically inactive but we can’t do this without investing in our facilities.

“This multi-million pound investment for Knaresborough will create a 21st century facility that provides fantastic opportunities for local people to move more, live well and feel great.

“Along with our new facility in Ripon and the redevelopment of the Hydro in Harrogate, as well as the districts other great leisure centres and pools, I hope people feel motivated, supported and inspired to stay active.”

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Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, said:

“Through the provision of fantastic modern leisure and wellness facilities and engaging, inclusive services we will be able to help many more people become active, lead healthier lifestyles and therefore live longer, more independent and happier lives.”

James Foley, commercial director for Alliance Leisure Services, said:

“The proposed transformation for Knaresborough has the capability to create a hugely positive impact within the community for generations to come.”

Backlash over search for locations

The current site was one of four options, along with Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough House and Hay-a-Park under consideration for the new leisure centre last year.

The council faced a backlash for considering Grade II* listed Conyngham Hall, with Knaresborough Civic Society among those opposing the move.

A Hands Off Conyngham Hall Grounds petition by the Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats attracted more than 1,600 signatures.