Ripon will welcome in 2023 in traditional style on Saturday evening, with residents and visitors invited to the city’s New Year’s Eve gathering on Market Square.

The celebrations begin at 9pm when a member of the hornblower team will signal the setting of the watch with blasts of their horn at the four corners of the obelisk.

The ceremonial event, dating back to 886 AD – the year in which when Alfred the Great became the first Anglo-Saxon King of England – will provide the prelude to a night of free entertainment.

The watch will be set by a member of the Ripon hornblower team prior to the start of the musical entertainment

Following the hornblower, three tribute acts will take centre stage for the final concert of the year organised by Ripon City Council.

The acts are Beyond Faith, performing the songs of George Michael and Wham, Xelle with the favourite numbers from the best-known girl bands and Parklife, singing Britpop hits of the 1990s.

Shortly before midnight a torchlit procession of civic dignitaries led by the Mayor and Mayoress of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke and his wife Linda, will make its way from Ripon Cathedral to Market Square, in time for the countdown that heralds in the New Year.

The procession will follow the Watchnight service at the cathedral which begins at 11.15.

Read more:

• Hundreds take part in Ripon pilgrimage
• A message of hope from the Bishop of Ripon

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the ongoing saga over Ripon leisure centre, its delays and increasing costs.

The end is in sight for Harrogate Borough Council — but will decisions it made about building a new Ripon swimming pool and refurbishing the existing leisure centre at Dallamires Lane come back to haunt council tax payers after the authority’s abolition in April?

Money already spent on the project stands at £14.5 million and still to be added is £3.5 million for extra ground stabilisation on site and a further £300,000 for a temporary gym due to open in the New Year.

The contract awarded to construction company Willmott Dixon in November 2019 was for delivery of the new pool and refurbished centre in May 2021 at a cost of £10.2 million. But the need for ground stabilisation works ahead of the pool’s construction added to the cost and caused delays.

The subsequent discovery in September 2020 of a ‘void’ close to the leisure centre entrance led to an investigation by engineering consultancy Stantec which identified ground stability issues under the leisure centre and a requirement for extensive remediation works to keep the building in use.

Opening of the temporary gym will enable the 27-year-old centre building to be vacated while work is carried out to shore up its foundations, but HBC has indicated that the need for more funding may be identified when this is underway.

The Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, including a newly-constructed six lane swimming pool, opened in March – more than nine months behind the original schedule

A report to a meeting of council’s cabinet in August said the authority had made “every effort to provide an accurate estimate” of the costs of the remediation works but added these could rise further once the ground stability works begin.

Concerns raised by Ripon City Council

Ripon City Council raised concerns about the costs for the additional ground stabilisation and called for an end to the spending on the multi-million pound project and for HBC to fully investigate other options, including building a new leisure centre at a different location where ground conditions are stable.

At its full meeting in October, Independent city council leader Andrew Williams, said the works would take the total spending on the project at Dallamires Lane to £18 million – some £8 million above the original budget.

He added:

“They (HBC) can’t continue ploughing money into this site, with its known history of ground stability issues, including a sinkhole that opened up on the leisure centre car park in 2018.”

Response from Harrogate Borough Council

The call to search for an alternative location for the centre has been rejected by the borough council. A spokesperson for the council, said:

“Building a new leisure centre at another site in Ripon would cost a significant amount of money and would result in two separate facilities to maintain, two sets of running and staffing costs, for example.

“It would also involve purchasing land in a suitable location that we don’t currently have, going through the planning application process and disposing of the existing building safely, all of which would take time and a considerable amount of money. And there is no guarantee that a different site wouldn’t have similar ground conditions.

“Co-location of both wet and dry leisure facilities is also important for increasing and sustaining participation in exercise, as well as optimising revenue and cost recovery.

“The new gym combined with the pool on one site is proving to be extremely popular, and will be further complemented by two new activity studios, sports hall, a spin studio as well as meeting facilities.”

The spokesperson added:

“Our consulting engineer has advised that a do-nothing approach is not advised. And although there is no immediate change in the geological risk profile to the building – that was originally built in 1995 and has provided sport and leisure services for more than 25 years – it is recommended that ground stabilisation works are undertaken to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come.”

Read more:

• Ground remediation work at Ripon leisure centre to cost £3.5 million
• City council calls for an end to spending on Ripon leisure scheme

The leader of Ripon City Council has said he hopes devolution in April will end “almost half a century of under investment” in Ripon by leaders in Harrogate.

The new North Yorkshire Council unitary authority will come into effect on April 1, when Harrogate Borough Council will be abolished.

At the city council’s full meeting this month, members resolved unanimously to submit an expression of interest in taking over the running of key assets that have been under the control of Harrogate Borough Council since 1974.

The assets range from the town hall to public toilets and the list also includes Market Square (pictured below) the Wakeman’s House and Hugh Ripley Hall.

Independent City Council leader Andrew Williams, who was elected to North Yorkshire County Council in May, said:

“As part of the Harrogate district we have suffered from almost half a century of under investment that has held Ripon back, but I am convinced that we can emerge from the doldrums by having greater involvement in running assets and ensuring that their potential is fully realised.”

He added:

“You only need to look at Ripon Town Hall, which has been left largely empty under Harrogate’s control, when it could have been providing valuable space for businesses and earning money for the city.

“By contrast, the city council has successfully managed Hugh Ripley Hall under a long lease from Harrogate and following our investment in upgrading the building it has become a very well used and profitable facility.”

Hugh Ripley Hall has been operating profitably under the management of Ripon City Council.

The route to greater involvement in running Ripon’s assets lies in the the double devolution proposals announced earlier this year by North Yorkshire County Council (NYCC).

NYCC has said:

“The new council will work with any town and parish council that wants to do more, for example, to deliver or commission services; providing they are able to demonstrate value for money and the ability to deliver.

“If these conditions are met then the new council will be open to funding the arrangements. The council would work with a first wave of forerunner town and parish councils to develop the concept.

“Other town and parish councils could then follow. Representatives from parish and town councils have worked with us to identify the types of service that could potentially be devolved from the new council if your local parish or town council would like to take them on.”

Ripon is aiming to be one of the forerunner councils to be selected to pilot the double devolution scheme.

Read more:

• Double devolution plan unveiled
• Calls for North Yorkshire to hand over more powers

City councillors have given their support in principle to Ripon Cathedral’s proposed £6 million standalone development on land to the north of the ancient building.

Members at Monday’s full meeting voted unanimously to support a proposal from leader Cllr Andrew Williams saying the council is in favour of the general principle of the development but is opposed to the closure of Minster Road.

The vote was taken following a presentation of the plans by the Dean of Ripon, the Very Revd. John Dobson and Colin Little, chair of the Ripon Cathedral Renewed Steering Group.

Ripon City Council is opposed to the closure of Minster Road as part of the development proposals.

In addition to their presentation, a model showing the planned development was available for councillors to see.

Dean John told the meeting:

“We have had a tremendous year with in excess of 100,000 people visiting the cathedral.”

He said attracting large numbers of visitors was beneficial to the wider Ripon economy, but also highlighted the need for the provision of modern facilities.

Dean John said:

“We have been looking for a solution to give the cathedral what it needs and this includes new toilets, new facilities for the choir, a gift shop larger than the one we currently have, a refectory and more storage space.”

Mr Little said the proposed cloistered two-storey stone building on Minster Gardens would be in keeping with neighbouring buildings in the conservation area and the development would include extensive landscaping that would increase the amount of public open space.

Cllr Williams said:

“We will be looking at the finer detail when the planning application is submitted, but the city council supports the general principle of this development, with the exception of the proposed closure of Minster Road, which we cannot agree with because diverting traffic elsewhere would cause many problems.”

He added:

“The cathedral draws in tens of thousands of visitors a year to Ripon and it should have decent toilets and other facilities to serve their needs.”

Should planning permission be granted, the building would include the city centre’s first Changing Places toilet facility for use by disabled people.

Cllr Pauline McHardy said:

“I am very excited about these plans. Our ancient city with its beautiful cathedral must move forward and the addition of facilities that make it more accessible to disabled people are most welcome.”

During the current climate, we all need a bit of sparkle in our lives.

And what better way to inject some festive cheer than switching on the Christmas lights.

Here are the dates for your diary for switch-on events across the district:

Harrogate – Thursday, November 17

The countdown to Christmas in Harrogate will officially get underway this evening, with Harrogate BID flicking the festive switch.

There will be no official switch-on event this year, however Christmas lights around the town centre will start to dazzle for the first time this evening.

The whole town will be illuminated by the weekend.

Ripon – Saturday, November 19

Ripon’s festive season gets into full swing this weekend, with the switch-on of the city’s Christmas lights on Saturday.

The city’s Market Square will be a hive of activity from 1pm, ahead of the lights switch-on, which takes place at 5pm.

The reindeer, which proved popular when they visited Ripon for last year’s event, will be returning with Santa and once again there will be free fairground rides and a climbing wall for children to enjoy.

The Ripon City Council event will also provide free musical entertainment from 2pm.

Knaresborough – Friday, November 25

Boroughbridge – Wednesday, December 7

Santa’s sleigh out and about in Boroughbridge in 2018.

The annual late night Christmas Shopping and lights switch-on event, organised by the town’s Chamber of Trade, will take place on Wednesday, December 7.

The event kicks-off with the official switch-on of the Christmas tree lights in Hall Square at 5.30pm, followed by short performances by school choirs.

Boroughbridge Lions will have Santa and his sleigh on display and there will be children’s rides, along with the Scouts’ roast chestnuts and Brighter Boroughbridge with a mulled wine and mince pies stall. There will also be a hog roast.

The shop window display competition theme this year is “A Christmas Panto”.

The lights on the Christmas tree will be switched on by BBC Radio York’s Georgey Spanswick and the Mayor, Sean Hynes.

Ripon’s festive season gets into full swing this week, with late night shopping tomorrow and the switch on of the city’s Christmas lights on Saturday.

Tomorrow, eight independent retailers located on North Steet and Fishergate will remain open until 8pm and there is the opportunity for shoppers to win a hamper.

The participating retailers are: The Castle, The GreenHouse, Memorable Moments. Carlton Couture Bridal, Absolute Bliss Health & Beauty, Eastwick, St Michael’s Hospice and  Halls of Ripon department store.

On Saturday, Ripon Market Square will be a hive of activity from 1pm ahead of the Christmas lights switch on, which takes place at 5pm.

Santa’s reindeer return to Ripon Market Square on Saturday afternoon

The reindeer, which proved popular when they visited Ripon for last year’s switch on will be returning with Santa and once again and there will also be free fairground rides and a climbing wall for children to enjoy.

The Ripon City Council event will also provide free musical entertainment from 2pm with singer-songwriter Freddie Cleary followed by Christmas songs from Tamsin and Kaylie, before the Jersey Beyond tribute act take centre stage.

This year, the council’s festive programme in Ripon is being supported by Ripon Business Improvement District, which is paying for the production and distribution of a Christmas brochure, setting out the events that will be happening in the city between now and New Year’s Eve.

Read more:

• City council opens funding scheme to more Ripon organisations
• Bid to save bus linking Ripon, Thirsk and Northallerton

Thousands of people gathered at Spa Gardens and on nearby streets, as Ripon remembered the dead of two world wars and other conflicts this morning.

Services were held at the war memorial and in Ripon Cathedral, with both attended by the Bishop of Ripon the Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, the Dean of Ripon the Very Revd. John Dobson (pictured below) and clergy from the cathedral.

Spa Gardens, which like all other parts of the city has been decorated with thousands of red hand-knitted poppies created by the Ripon Community Poppy Project, provided a fitting backdrop for the ceremony at the memorial.

It was here that Andrew Cowie, president of the Ripon branch of the Royal British Legion, read out almost 400 names that appear on memorials at the gardens and in the cathedral.

Following a two-minute silence, wreaths were laid, including one on behalf of Ripon City Council, put in place by the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Sid Hawke (pictured below).

Wreaths were also laid by other dignitaries and representatives of all branches of the armed forces and the emergency services.

Following the service in Spa Gardens 60 soldiers based at Claro Barracks led a march to the cathedral, passing Ripon Town Hall, where the mayor took the salute.

Read more:

• City council opens funding scheme to more Ripon organisations
• Bid to save bus linking Ripon, Thirsk and Northallerton

Ripon councillors are calling for further action to smarten up a derelict site on one of the city’s key tourist routes.

The former Express petrol station and convenience store on Skellbank, has been empty for years.

It is located in a largely residential area of the city, on the route to Fountains Abbey and diagonally across the road from Hugh Ripley Hall, named in honour of Ripon’s first mayor.

In early 2021 Harrogate Borough Council planning enforcement officers instructed the owner to tidy the site, cut back vegetation and leave it in an acceptable manner prior to any further development.

The site as it looks today

However, as it remains in a derelict and overgrown state, city councillors at Monday night’s full meeting agreed to call for further enforcement action to be taken by HBC.

Councillor Stuart Flatley’s request for HBC to serve a Section 125 notice on the site owner was unanimously supported, after he said:

“This area is on the route to the Fountains Abbey World Heritage Site and has been in this unacceptable condition for many years and we can’t let this continue.”

City council leader Andrew Williams who seconded the proposal, said:

“As well as supporting this, I would like to go a step further and look at a compulsory purchase order for the site, so that it can be cleared and used for much-needed additional car parking spaces that can serve visitors to the city, hospital and Hugh Ripley Hall.”

Read more:

• City council opens funding scheme to more Ripon organisations
• Blessing ceremony held at Ripon Garden of Remembrance

Section 215 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 provides a local planning authority with the power to take steps requiring land be cleaned up when its condition adversely affects the amenity of the area.

If it appears that the amenity of part of their area is being adversely affected by the condition of neighbouring land and buildings, they may serve a notice on the owner requiring that the situation be remedied.

Ripon councillors are bidding to save the number 70 bus service that links the city with Thirsk and Northallerton.

They have agreed to contact North Yorkshire County Council and call for a re-think following an email to the city council that said funding for the service will come to an end from April.

The news from the passenger transport authority was met with disappointment at Monday’s full city council meeting, at which leader Andrew Williams, said:

“The loss of this service will mean that people from Ripon will not be able to use public transport to travel to Northallerton and go to North Yorkshire’s new seat of local government.

“This seems a ridiculous situation at a time when the COP 27 conference is being held in Egypt and world leaders are talking about the need to reduce carbon emissions by using more environmentally-friendly means of transport.”

Ripon residents can currently travel on the 36 bus to attend Harrogate Borough Council meetings or deal with matters such as planning applications.

Cllr Williams said:

“With devolution, this will all change from April when the new North Yorkshire authority comes into being and Harrogate Borough Council ceases to exist.

“That’s why we need to both protect and promote the valuable number 70 service and encourage more people to use it and make it viable.”

Cllr Julie Martin-Long said:

“The service is also a means of accessing mainline trains for travel to the north of England and onward links to airports in the north east.

Read more:

• Funding boost for Ripon’s museums
• Branding revealed for North Yorkshire Council 

Community groups in Ripon are being invited to apply for funding up to a maximum of £3,500.

Ripon City Council has reviewed its partnership funding scheme to allow more organisations to apply for assistance covering an extended period, rather than making repeat annual applications via the council’s small grants scheme.

Funding will be approved for the council’s current term of office and will be subject to agreed outcomes defined in service level agreements and a regular review.

The partnership funding scheme will no longer be limited to those organisations who have previously benefited from it on a year-on-year basis.

Local not-for-profit, charitable and community organisation are invited to submit applications by November 30.

The partnership funding scheme, which was launched in 2016, was designed to provide core annual funding to a number of local organisations.

It has previously run alongside the small grants scheme, for which the council has regularly received repeat applications from other local groups and organisations that require additional funding to allow them to carry out their work.

The partnership funding scheme is designed to be a medium-term pledge of financial support to local organisations.

It is open for applications from any Ripon organisation which has charitable status or which runs as a not-for-profit, community organisation where membership is open (i.e. no discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, religion or sexuality).

Funding applications must clearly be of benefit to the people of Ripon as the scheme is funded by the precept money collected through the council tax levied on Ripon residents.

Read more:

• Blessing ceremony held at Ripon’s Garden of Remembrance
• Ripon woman sets up dyspraxia support group