The children of Ripon are paying the price for Harrogate Borough Council’s ‘incompetent handling’ of the multi-million pound leisure centre project.

That’s the view of Ripon City Council, which backed a call from Independent leader Andrew Williams for immediate action to make the overgrown playing fields at the Camp Close site useable in time for the summer holidays.

Councillors also called for barriers, restricting access to the bike and skate park on site, to be removed so that proper access is restored. Some fencing has been forced down by young people wanting to use the facility (pictured above).

The centre opened behind schedule and over budget in March.

The council also agreed on Monday evening, to make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to HBC for a key report to be made public to discover the financial liability that council tax payers face for remedial work to leisure centre foundations.

The report, which was prepared by engineering consultancy Stantec,  was received by HBC more than two months ago, prior to the local elections in May, but has yet to be presented to the council’s cabinet.

Overgrown and yet to be landscaped, the playing fields.

Cllr Williams, who was elected to represent Ripon at parish and North Yorkshire level, claimed:

“There is a clear attempt to suppress this report and literally kick it into the leisure centre’s long grass.

“But the public has a right to know the full financial consequences, before the successor authority has to deal with the mess of HBC’s incompetent handling of the project from the outset, starting with their decision to build on a site with a known history of ground instability.”

What was promised and what has been delivered?

The £10.2 million contract signed with construction company Willmott Dixon in November 2019, was for delivery of the new pool, a refurbished leisure centre, creation of a children’s playground, landscaping of the site, reinstatement of a football pitch, provision of parking for vehicles and bicycles and installation of electric car charging points.

To date, the pool, children’s playground, parking facilities and charging points, have been delivered, but only the gym on the upper floor of the leisure centre is open, with activities, such as spin classes relocated to the Hugh Ripley Hall.

The agreed completion date for the contract was May 2021, but delays caused by ground instability meant extensive grouting (injection of concrete) had to take place which held up the opening of the pool until March of this year.

Reluctance to release the Stantec report

Following an initial inspection by Stantec of a ‘void’ near the entrance to the leisure centre, discovered during construction work in September 2020, the consultancy was appointed to carry out a detailed investigation of the foundations.

In April, chartered engineer and Ripon resident Stanley Mackintosh, submitted an FOI request to HBC, seeking release of the Stantec report, but despite repeated attempts to obtain a copy, he still awaits their decision on whether or not the report will be released to him.

Escalating costs

Mr Mackintosh, pointed out:

“The known running total for the project as of September 2021, was standing at £14,590,665 and In my opinion, considerable additional monies will be needed to carry out the extremely complex  works.

“This is because the foundations will need to be thickened from 200mm to 750mm, and superstructure modifications will be required to improve the structural stiffness of the building.

“It’s a very costly exercise to carry out under an existing building and even then, long-term sustainability cannot be guaranteed, because of the on-going underground gypsum dissolution that will continue to occur.”

He pointed out:

“Ground instability will be a constant feature in this area of Ripon, as evidenced by the opening up of a sinkhole in February 2018 on the leisure centre car park and the discovery of a further sinkhole close to the centre’s entrance in September 2020.

Chartered civil engineer Stanley Mackintosh, pictured outside the site before the swimming pool opened

“The actual remediation costs will only be known when the findings of the Stantec report are released and I have been attempting, under FOI legislation, to obtain a copy of that report, but the council appears reluctant to let me have it.”

“This stonewalling is a classic case of kicking the can down the road, because the council knows that there will be significant financial implications for council tax payers, long after HBC’s affairs have been taken over by the new North Yorkshire Council next April.”

What does Harrogate Borough Council have to say?

HBC has confirmed that the Stantec report has not been presented to its cabinet members.

A spokesperson, said in a statement:

“The report, and recommendations, will be presented to the meeting of the cabinet in due course.”

The spokesperson also confirmed that the council considers that remedial works that will need to be carried out under the centre are a financially viable proposition.

Asked when the landscaping works and restoration of the football pitch will be carried out, so that children can use the area for recreation once more, the spokesperson didn’t give any specific dates, but said:

“This work will be completed towards the end of the investment project at the leisure and wellbeing centre.”

Read more:

• Ripon pool opening delayed again
• Sinkhole experts urge councillors to consider new site for Ripon pool
• Thumbs up for new Dallamires playground in Ripon

Within a stone’s throw of Brimham Rocks there’s a newly-created oasis of calm and quiet reflection.

The community herb and vegetable garden at the Acorn Wellness Retreat in Hartwith, has been designed to add to its holistic, healing approach and aim of improving people’s health and wellbeing with a diet of wholesome food.

As well as providing a ready supply of fresh produce used as ingredients in nutrition-rich dishes for guests, a weekly harvest of the herbs and vegetables is being shared with the neighbouring community.

A harvest for health – Acorn Wellness Retreat owner Katie Kavanagh is sharing the goodness of the garden with the neighbouring community

Acorn’s owner Katie Kavanagh, who opened the not-for-profit enterprise in 2017, told the Stray Ferret:

“We have people who come here for recovery, rest, retreat and sanctuary, often after treatment for serious illnesses such as cancer.”

She added:

“We also have a surrounding community of friends and neighbours and through sharing the items grown in the garden, we hope to be able to give something back to them.”

The new facility, created from sustainable materials by Ben Green of Springer Land & Property Services,  includes a hazel bower, raised planters and seating  areas.

The newly-opened garden at Acorn Wellness Retreat

To mark the opening, Acorn’s Helen O’Connor, a psychologist and forest bathing therapist, led a mindfulness session after attendees received a posy of freshly-picked herbs grown in the garden.

She asked the retreat’s friends, neighbours and her colleagues, to join with her in enjoying the peace of the new area by listening to the birdsong and attuning themselves to the natural rhythms of the countryside setting.

Ms. Kavanagh pointed out:

“We have planted a seed that will grow and thrive, while providing another means for enabling us to be at one with the natural environment and the healing qualities that this offers.”

Read More:

• Ripon’s Spa Baths to be returned to its former glory
• How you can help rid Ripon of an alien invader

Ripon Vision Support,  which helps people with all kinds of visual impairment, has received a £7,000 boost that will enable it to extend its services.

The charity was selected as one of two beneficiaries of the appeal monies raised by former Mayor of Ripon Councillor Eamon Parkin.

The other recipient of a £7,000 award was the Ripon Christmas Lights Appeal, which Cllr Parkin championed during his three consecutive years in office.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I am delighted to be able to share the £14,000 raised between the two causes and would like to thank the people of Ripon who supported me, with special mention for appeal treasurer Pearl Coates and secretary Joyce Maguire, who were with me all of the way.”

A meeting of Ripon Vision Support

Cllr Parkin, pointed out:

“My term of office was extended twice because of the covid pandemic, which also impacted on the amount of money raised for my appeal, because so many fundraising events had to be cancelled.

“In spite of this, through the limited amount of events that we were able to hold, the community spirit and generosity of local people shone through.”

While the money raised for the Christmas lights will go towards further improvements to the city’s 2022 festive display, Ripon Vision Support will use its share for further development of its activities.

Chair of the charity John Mellor, said:

“This is a tremendous boost for us and literally doubles the amount of money that we have in the bank.

“It will help us to extend our services and we are most grateful to Cllr Parkin for selecting us as one of his chosen charities during his years of office.”

Ripon Vision Support’s Tuesday morning meetings at the Allhallowgate Methodist Church Hall, are open to anybody in the city with any form of visual impairment.

They provide a platform for social gathering, advice and practical assistance and each meeting is attended speakers who give topical talks on a wide range of subjects.

Mr Mellor, said:

“We welcome new members and anybody wishing to join us can is asked to get in touch.”

Further details are available by clicking here.

Read more:

• The safety fears raised by Ripon City Council a year ago that have been ignored
• Exposed – the charges that Ripon police have to pay in their bid to tackle crime

Royal Engineers, driving recklessly at high speeds on a stretch of road near their Ripon base, are ‘putting lives at risk’ claim local residents.

Fears that there will soon be a human fatality, if urgent traffic calming measures are not put in place, have heightened following reports on social media that pet cats have recently been killed on Clotherhome Road.

The family pets join a mounting casualty list that also includes a Labrador puppy hit by a car.

Fears of a human fatality

Claire Charlton, who lives opposite the playing fields and within sight of two 15mph speed limit signs (pictured below) said:

“It’s only a matter of time before we will have a human fatality – things are getting out of hand.”

The mother of four and owner of two small dogs, pointed out:

“A lot of school-children use the cut through between the Doublegates estate and Clotherholme Road as a short cut on their way to and from school and it would be dreadful if it took the death of a child, to make speeding motorists realise what a danger they pose to children, other road users, dog walkers and family pets.”

Students of both Ripon Grammar School and Outwood Academy, use this short-cut from the Doublegates estate and onto the busy Clotherholme Road

Mrs Charlton, added:

“A few weeks ago, I was reversing out of my drive onto Clotherholme Road and was nearly hit by a white car that must have been going at more than 60 miles per hour.

“I followed the driver as he turned into Chatham Road, but when I came to the barrier at the entrance to the barracks, I was stopped by by camp security, who told me it wasn’t their problem.”

Batty was found dead on Clotherholme Road and his owner says the extent of his injuries indicate he was hit with considerable force by a vehicle

The loss of a family pet

On the Doublegates estate, the distraught owner of Batty, a black cat killed on the road a week ago, was tearful as she told the Stray Ferret:

“He came to us as a stray and was a beautiful, home-loving cat, who very rarely went out of our garden.

“But he didn’t come in when we called for him at bedtime and my partner found him with terrible injuries, dead on the road the following morning.”

She, added:

“Some people say, ‘what’s the fuss, it’s only a cat’ but to us Batty was a member of our family.”

Concerns have been raised by people living in the urban area and adjacent residential streets,  who say that the finger of blame points clearly at soldiers traveling to and from Claro Barracks at the far end of Clotherholme Road.

‘Letting the regiment down’

Neil Divine, who served in the Royal Engineers for 23 years – four of them in Ripon – told the Stray Ferret:

“As a former member of the regiment, I regret to say that the weight of blame rests squarely on the shoulders of some soldiers, based at the barracks, who are  letting the regiment down.

“They are seen in their uniforms driving recklessly to and from the barracks, at ridiculously high speeds.”

The section of road on the approach to the barracks has a speed limit of 15 miles per hour, but Mr Devine said:

“Not only is this regularly ignored, by most drivers, but they also speed in the 30mph section that goes past homes where there are families with children and pets – all of whom are being put at risk because of this reckless behaviour.”

The Stray Ferret has asked the Ministry of Defence for a response to the claims but did not receive one at the time of publication.

Read more:

• Police appeal after indecent exposure at Newby Hall
• Could portable cameras slow down motorists on Clotherholme Road?

Prolific Ripon author, poet and creative writer Maggie Cobbett will be among those in attendance when the Write-On Ripon open mic event returns on Thursday evening after a short break.

Maggie, one of the city’s best-known authors, told the Stray Ferret:

“Our ‘cavern of creativity’ as we call the cellar area at Curzon Cinema, is proving a great meeting place for all kinds of  writers.

“The open mic evenings staged so far have attracted a broad base of talent, from first-time novelists to people seeking a platform to read out work jotted down in a notepad.”

Event organiser, creative writer and the founder of Ripon Spookers, Dion Child, said:

“It’s marvellous to have experienced and published authors like Maggie at our open mic evenings.

“I’m sure that those who are new to writing benefit from her friendly advice, while enjoying listening to her reading out poems and extracts from her books.

“We took a break in June because of the platinum jubilee and I suspect that the sights and sounds of that wonderful four days of celebration in the city will be reflected in some of the pieces that we hear on Thursday.”

The event, at Curzon Cinema on North Street, free to attend and runs from 7.30pm until 10pm

Read more:

• Ripon student wins Oxford University translation prize
• Council re-iterates safety concerns about proposed Ripon art installation

Ripon City Council is objecting ‘in the strongest terms’ to the siting of two of the three proposed public realm art installations being planned to celebrate the life of Wilfrid — the city’s patron saint.

The council first voiced safety concerns last year about a five-metre high montage depicting the building of ancient Rome on the bypass roundabout at the junction with Boroughbridge Road.

Council leader Andrew Williams told the Stray Ferret:

“I had a meeting with applicant Christopher Baily who was representing an organisation called Art in Churches and I made our concerns very clear to him and assumed that a more suitable location would be found for this element of the Rome to Ripon Art trail.

“I said at the meeting, that the city council supports, in principle, the installation of public realm artworks recognising the work of St Wilfrid, but not on the busiest roundabout on the bypass.”

Cllr Williams, added:

“At the June full council meeting, we looked at the plans for the artworks and found that our public safety concerns have been completely ignored and the applicant has presented what appears to be precisely the same proposal for the structure on the roundabout.

Staging in front of Ripon Town Hall for the city council’s programme of free live music would have to move if planning permission is granted.

“To add insult to injury, the plans also indicate that the proposed siting of a five-metre high bronze of St Wilfrid on Market Place, would require a re-positioning of the stage, safety barriers and associated equipment employed when we are holding free public events for Ripon residents and visitors to the city,

“The plans that we saw, showed that the applicant, without any consultation with the council, took the decision to move the stage from immediately in front of the town hall to a location on Market Square.

“Both this and the roundabout plan are totally unacceptable and we have objected in the strongest terms to Harrogate Borough Council planners, who we hope will understand our reasons for making our concerns known.”

The Stray Ferret approached Mr Baily twice by email on Monday to give him the opportunity to respond to objections raised by the city council.

At the time of publication, no response had been received.

The proposed third element of the Rome to Ripon art trail features a sculpture to be located close to the cathedral of a boat, to represent the visits that Wilfrid made on journeys involving sea crossings to visit Rome.

The city council has advised planners that it has no objection to the location of this part of the trail.

Read more:

• The safety fears raised by Ripon City Council a year ago that have been ignored
• Exposed – the charges that Ripon police have to pay in their bid to tackle crime

The Friends of Hell Wath and supporters have been pulling together for years to tackle an overbearing foreign invader at the Ripon nature reserve.

But many volunteer hands are still needed, if they are to win the battle by bashing the pervasive Himalayan balsam plants into submission.

Over the years, balsam has spread across a third of the site, putting a stranglehold on some areas and harming the growth of native species crucial to the biodiversity of the reserve.

FOHW secretary Jeremy Dunford told the Stray Ferret:

“Because Himalayan Balsam is so abundant, bees stick around feasting on the plentiful supply of nectar that it provides, meaning that these vital pollinators are not properly serving the needs of other plant species.

“This creates an imbalance, as it limits the variety of plants such as meadow flowers, that can add  greatly to the biodiversity of the site.”

Among those involved in clearing the site of Himalayan Balsam are Nabil Abbas, manager of the Skell Valley Project and FOHW member Karyn Lees.

Last week, the army of tireless volunteers, who have been manually tearing up the balsam, received a helping hand from the scientific  community.

Scientific help

After seeking assistance for two years, FOHW discovered that their call for help was being answered with the introduction of a natural fungal rust developed by the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, experts in biological control and fighting Himalayan balsam with fungal pathogens.

The fungus option, which weakens the plant by infecting its stem and leaves throughout the growing season, only infects Himalayan balsam and does not pose a risk to other species.

Not so pretty in pink — the Himalayan Balsam that has invaded Hell Wath Nature Reserve

 Mr Dunford said:

“We were absolutely delighted to be selected as one of the UK’s trial sites and hope that it will lead to a long-term solution that helps us in the work that we are doing here, alongside the Skell Valley Project, whose expertise is invaluable.

“However, while we wait with keen anticipation to witness the effects that the fungal rust has on selected areas of the reserve, we still need as many people as possible, to assist us with the seemingly unending task of pulling and snapping the balsam and stamping on its roots.”

Volunteer assistance

The friends, who can be contacted by clicking this link, have received assistance from 5th Ripon Brownies, young soldiers from the Harrogate Army Foundation and staff from major local employer Wolseley and visitors, who are encouraged to pull, snap and stamp on as many Himalayan balsam plants as possible when visiting the reserve.

Once pulled, the destroyed plants should be left at the side of the paths for collection and all people involved in this mass removal operation are advised to wear gloves, as the plants are often found alongside nettles, which should be left in situ.

Nabil Abbas, manager of the Skell Valley Project, has been providing help, guidance and practical assistance to FOHW.

He said:

“You realise the scale of the task when you see how much of the Hell Wath site has been overrun by the Himalayan Balsam.

“But nature has a remarkable way of bouncing back and it is great to see how the friends and other volunteers are working together to reclaim the area so that native species can flourish once more.”

Community volunteers from Wolseley, have been involved in the huge clearance programme. Picture: Skell Valley Project

Karyn Lees, a member of FOHW, who is literally getting to the root of the reserve’s balsam problem, said:

“Once you start it becomes addictive, as you realise with each plant pulled up and destroyed, you are helping the native species to thrive.”

Read More: 

• What is planned for Ripon’s Spa Baths?
• Fungus joins the fight at Ripon nature reserve

Ripon-based investment and development company Sterne Properties is in the process of acquiring the city’s historic Spa Baths from Harrogate Borough Council for an undisclosed sum.

In an exclusive interview with the Stray Ferret, company director Robert Sterne, said:

“It is our intention to restore the Grade II listed building to its former glory, when it was the centrepiece of the city’s spa quarter.

“Turning the clock back to 1905, it started life as a leisure and hospitality attraction, designed exclusively for the richer members of society, but our proposed hospitality-based regeneration of the building will make it fit for the modern world and open to all.

“Through a painstaking and detailed refurbishment, working closely with architect Andrew Burningham of AB Architecture, the spa complex will be returned to its days of Edwardian elegance.”

Sterne Properties has ambitious plans to refurbish the Grade II listed building.

Ornate and classical features, originally designed to attract well-heeled Edwardians to take spa treatments, will be seen once more in their full splendour and will be accessible to the people of Ripon and visitors to the city.

With its expertise in developing buildings for the city’s leisure, hospitality and retail sectors – including Curzon Cinema, Claro Lounge and Halls of Ripon – Sterne Properties feels well-equipped to take on the challenge of Spa Baths’ renaissance.

Mr Sterne said:

“We have had success in returning redundant properties such as the former NatWest Bank building next to Ripon Town Hall and an empty furniture store on North Street, into destinations that add value to the city’s offer.

“At this stage, we are considering a number of different community-focused uses.

“The initial planning application that we have lodged with Harrogate Borough Council, in the run up to completion of our acquisition of the building, is for a careful ‘strip back’ which will reveal design features that have been either covered up or out of sight since the 1930s, when the spa was re-purposed to accommodate a public swimming pool. “

Mr Sterne added:

“Our thinking is guided by knowledge of Ripon’s people who, like myself, learnt to swim at Spa Baths and see it, with affection, as part of their own and the city’s heritage.

“We believe that by working alongside all interested parties, including the city council and civic society, we can, subject to all relevant planning permissions, deliver an enhanced community asset, with new features, such as a conservatory, that we can all enjoy and take pride in.”

Martin Sterne, who set up the family-run property business in 1990s, added:

“We aim to make our mark on our home city by investing in it and creating developments that leave a lasting legacy.”

Read More:

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• Plan ahead for road resurfacing and diversions in Ripon this week

One of Ripon’s busiest thoroughfares will be closed daily between 7am and 5pm for six days from Friday, to enable North Yorkshire County Council to carry out repairs and resurfacing works.

Minster Road, which runs past Ripon Cathedral, along with St Mary’s Gate, are part of an inner-city route that many road users take if travelling to Cathedral Primary School,  Aldi, Marks & Spencer food store, and homes on Residence Lane and those accessed off Priest Lane.

Signs, including ones for a diversion route that takes in Allhallowgate, Stonebridgegate, Magdalen’s Road, Rotary Way and the Ripon bypass have been put in place by NYCC.

With the St Mary’s Gate and Minster Road in their present condition, some motorists have been making their own diversionary route to avoid the potholes.

Stewart Readman, used a steel tape measure to emphasise the size of potholes on St Mary’s Gate.

Among them is Ripon resident Stewart Readman, who contacted the Stray Ferret in April to express concern about the state of the city’s roads.

At that time, he said:

“St Mary’s Gate and Minster Road are particularly hazardous and both my daughter and I had to have springs replaced on our cars because of damage caused by the potholes.

“Since then, it’s a route that we have avoided.”

St Mary’s Gate is currently a patchwork of temporarily filled-in potholes.

Read more:

With the road repairs and resurfacing due to start in four days, Mr Readman said this morning:

“I will be keeping a close eye on this work, but there are still many other roads in Ripon that also need to be attended to.”

The repair and resurfacing works will be carried out from the junction of Priest Lane with Allhallowgate and St Mary’s Gate and on Minster Road.

A resident, who lives on St Mary’s Gate, added:

“We’ve waited a long time for this pothole problem to be sorted out and I just hope that they make a good job of resurfacing the road

“Hopefully it will be up to the same standard as the resurfacing work on Cathedral Car Park, where the contractors did a great job.”

Read more:

• Could a pothole machine be the answer to Ripon’s rocky roads?
• Smooth operators earn praise for Ripon car park resurfacing work

Harrogate Borough Council has charged North Yorkshire Police over £110,000 to check and supply its CCTV footage since 2016, the Stray Ferret can reveal.

The council has a network of 212 CCTV cameras across the district to help prevent and detect crime. It has a manned control room that operates 24/7.

But it does not supply footage to the police for free and last month the Stray Ferret reported it asks the force to pay a fee of £57 per hour for the service.

We submitted a freedom of information request to the council that asked how much it has charged North Yorkshire Police in total since 2016.

The answer revealed a total bill of £114,005, which amounts to about £20,000 a year on average. The sum fell noticeably during covid lockdowns in 2021/22.

The annual breakdown is below:

• 2016/17 £23,410
• 2017/18 £19,598
• 2018/19 £20,251
• 2019/20 £18,992
• 2020/21 £13,400
• 2021/22  £18,354

Crime prevention

Ripon has been plagued by well-documented anti-social behaviour and crime in recent years.

The council operates 10 CCTV cameras in the city but Andrew Williams, the leader of Ripon City Council and the North Yorkshire county councillor for Ripon Minster and Moorside, said the charge deters police from following up crime reports.

He said:

“It is ironic that Harrogate Borough Council’s homes and safer communities team appears more interested in making commercial charges to the police, rather than working in partnership with them to help in the detection and arrest of criminals.”

Cllr Andrew Williams

Cllr Williams calculated that the £18,354 charge for the last financial year worked out at less than one hour of CCTV footage a day.

He suggested this means NYP is being selective in which footage it requests and could be missing out on catching criminals.

He added:

“When considering the size of the Harrogate district and the number of CCTV cameras installed across it, that indicates that police, with pressure on their budgets, are having to be selective in their purchasing of footage and only calling on the services of the HBC CCTV monitoring team for the most serious incidents that they are investigating.”

“At a public meeting in Ripon last month, police admitted that nobody had been arrested for the vandal attacks, in part because they could not pinpoint the exact time of each incident and would have to go through hours of footage, which would not necessarily provide the quality of footage required to identify an individual or individuals.”

Read more:

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‘Shameful’ charges

Business owner Andrew Hart, who owns the Red Box post offices in Bilton and Starbeck, has previously raised concerns about anti-social behaviour in both areas.

Mr Hart has two private CCTV cameras in his post offices. He said he supplies any footage to the police for free if they ask for it and called the council’s decision to charge “shameful”.

The council currently operates one CCTV camera in Starbeck.

Andrew Hart

He said:

“We are often needing to refer back to our two CCTV systems on both police and private request. It is something we do out of a sense of duty to both the community and in our joint responsibility to fight anti-social behaviour.

“Yes, it takes time and costs us money but we all have to do our bit, surely. I think it is shameful that any council should charge our grossly overstretched police for this service.”

Council’s response

A council spokesperson said:

“CCTV across the Harrogate district, which is owned and managed by Harrogate Borough Council, has ongoing infrastructure and running costs.

“As well as the costs to maintain the service, there are also costs associated with a CCTV control room, staffing and the on-going safe storage of footage.

“Should anyone wish to obtain a copy of any footage, this would require an appropriate individual reviewing it first, followed by providing the footage securely along with a witness statement. All while adhering to the Data Protection Act 1998.

“Therefore, any third-party that wishes to view and use any CCTV footage – such as an insurance company, enforcement agency or the police – is charged to do so.”

North Yorkshire Police declined to comment.