Serious safety concerns after Ripon Leisure Centre report

A leading authority on Ripon’s long-standing gypsum and sinkhole problems has raised serious safety concerns about the site of Ripon’s new swimming pool and existing leisure centre.

The Stray Ferret has obtained a copy of a letter sent by geologist Dr Alan Thompson to Harrogate borough councillors in which he states issues around the stability of the ground of the existing leisure centre haven’t been taken seriously enough.

Dr Thompson, a director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, was the principal author of a definitive document in 1996 on land in Ripon where there is a risk of ground instability, which subsequently provided the basis for Harrogate Borough Council’s planning policy.

His intervention follows an inspection carried out by global consultancy firm Stantec into a “cavity” that appeared near the entrance to the existing leisure centre building in September 2020.

In a strongly-worded letter he claims that the council has not followed its own protocols.

“My stark conclusion is that, if the lessons to be learned from the Stantec report are not heeded, the council could be walking blindly into a major problem – not least in terms of public finances and political consequences but also, potentially, in terms of future public safety.”

In May, Michael Constantine, head of culture and sport and interim head of operations, answered questions on the safety of the development at the leisure centre site.

Dr Thompson claims cabinet members  were not made aware of the wider concerns about the site contained in the Stantec report:

He said:

“The purpose of this letter is to draw the Councillors’ attention to a number of key findings identified in that report, (that) clearly demonstrate the cavity in question is associated with ongoing subsidence activity relating to gypsum dissolution.

“The findings also reveal serious concerns about the extent of instability beneath other parts of the existing building and the inadequacy of the foundations that were used.

“Those concerns have clear implications for the new swimming pool development.”

What was said to cabinet members in May? 

At the cabinet meeting on May 26, Mr Constantine was asked by councillor and deputy leader Graham Swift if the project had followed protocols. Cllr Swift said:

“I think you are aware that there are residents out there who have written to members either under their amateur-guise of geology or potentially historic professional credentials for geology and have expressed some concerns about the work that is carrying out there.

“I just really wanted to take this opportunity to receive your assurances that although we are not necessarily in negotiations with the amateurs or the residents that are making the claims, just make sure we are undertaking professional surveys throughout this work, we have got the right technical geologists on all the work and that all the right protocols are taking place for the progress of this project.”

Mr Constantine responded, saying:

“I am very content to be able to give cabinet, council and any interested residents my assurance that as a project team we are employing sufficiently qualified and experienced geologists and geo-technical engineers.

“The ground investigations works is proposed to take place and be delivered by the company who have undertaken the main series of investigations and re-enforcement works for the main new pool facility. They have a very detailed knowledge of the site and they are pretty much the UK industry experts in stabilisation.”

Mr Constantine also said that the cavity discovered in September 2020:

“Is a shallow void which goes underneath the building and is not thought to be a related dissolution feature.”

What does the Stantec report say?

The ‘void’ was discovered on 14 September 2020, when principal contractor Willmott Dixon (WD) was excavating foundations for the new swimming pool extension to the leisure centre.

Stantec’s report, which has been seen by the Stray Ferret, raised concerns about the load-bearing capacity of existing piles under the existing leisure centre, which would have been used to support the connection between the new pool and the leisure centre.

Discussions where held with Willmott Dixon and construction and property consultants Pick Everard  (PE) and a new design solution was put forward.

The report states that this approach is:

“Expected to provide sufficient mitigation of the risk of future ground collapse to the new extension.

“The risk of the ground collapse further impacting on the existing building can’t be overlooked, in the short term the void should be backfilled with inert crushed gravel and should be monitored and regularly topped up to maintain sidewall support to allow works on the extension and the raft foundation to be undertaken.

“Further detailed investigations are required to evaluate the stability of the existing building given the concerns raised.”

Dr Thompson’s letter to councillors makes it clear that he thinks more needs to be done following the report:

“Any further development in the same area (such as the new swimming pool) would clearly require very extensive ground investigations and very careful foundation design, in line with the protocols set out in Policy NE9.

“Even then, it would not be surprising to conclude that, on this particular site, an adequate engineering solution for a public building might not be financially feasible.

“Inadequate ground investigations may have been carried out, leading to reliance being placed on inappropriate engineering solutions.

What is the council’s response to Dr Thompson’s concerns? 

In a statement to the Stray Ferret a council spokesman said:

“The multi-million pound investment project at Ripon Leisure Centre shows our commitment to providing modern, fit-for-purpose leisure facilities for the people of Ripon.

“Given the well-known ground conditions in Ripon, we employed qualified and experienced geologists and geo-technic engineers to carry out necessary investigation works and advice on what would be required to provide this much need facility.

“A total of 441 grouting sites received 3,043 tonnes of grout which, along with the casting of a reinforced concrete slab, provides the foundation for the new swimming pool building.

“The void which is underneath the existing leisure centre is understood to have been present a number of years. This was only discovered as a result of the work to prepare the new swimming pool site.

“It is now being investigated and should any remedial work be required then it will be carried out.

“We are committed to providing this much needed facility that will encourage a healthier and more active lifestyle for our residents and something they can be proud of.”

Read more:

 

Ripon Leisure Centre history – grounds for concern

This timeline sets out the key events from before plans for Ripon’s new swimming pool and leisure centre refurbishment were approved, to the present day.

Concerns about ground stability on the Camp Close site were highlighted before Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee approved the council’s own planning application on 25 June 2019.

 

Harrogate woman condemns owner who left dog outside in heatwave

A Harrogate woman who found a dog tied up outside a supermarket during the heatwave today has condemned the owner.

Lizzie Meakes went to shop at Morrisons in Starbeck when she found the dog near the entrance at about 2pm.

The temperature at the time was close to 30 degrees centigrade on what is likely to be one of the hottest days of the year.

Worried about the dog’s panting, Ms Meakes asked staff at Morrisons to get water for him to drink and pat on his back to cool off.

She stayed with the dog for 30 minutes until she had to return to work, and the owner still did not return. Staff at Morrisons also helped to look after the dog.

Ms Meakes told the Stray Ferret:

“Bless him. He just look so distressed and couldn’t catch a breath without any water in sight. I held his paw which was wet through with sweat.

“I just felt so sorry for him, if I could have taken him home I would have.

“I do not understand what the owner needed so desperately from the shop to leave their dog out in this heat.”

Read more:

 

Lizzie with her dog Rosie.

Social media has been awash with posts by people concerned about the welfare of animals during the heatwave.

But they appear to have gone unheeded by the unidentified dog owner.

Ms Meakes put a post about her experience on the Facebook group Harrogate Host to spread the word, and more than a hundred people have so far commented.

Work on £10.9m Harrogate Station Gateway could start in February

Construction on Harrogate’s £10.9 million Station Gateway project is expected to start in February next year, according to a council report.

Detailed designs for the project, which includes proposals such as reducing Station Parade to one-lane, are currently being drawn up.

It could also see part of James Street pedestrianised in an effort to encourage more walking and cycling.

A progress report due before North Yorkshire County Council on Friday, says:

“Scheme construction is anticipated to commence in February 2022 following approval of the final business case by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

“Completion of the scheme by the Department for Transport deadline date of March 2023 remains challenging.”

Read more:

The report adds that further public consultation on the detailed design plans is expected in September ahead of a final business case being complete.

A final proposal for the project is anticipated to go before the county council’s executive in December.

The report follows the recent publication of a 160-page document analysing responses to the first round of consultation to the scheme, which is a joint initiative between Harrogate Borough Council, North Yorkshire County Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

Of 935 people who replied to a consultation question about traffic on Station Parade in an online survey, 49 per cent preferred the one-lane option, 27 per cent preferred the two-lane option and 24 per cent preferred neither.

Of the 934 who replied to a question about pedestrianising the northern section of James Street, between Princes Street and Station Parade, 54 per cent said they were either positive or very positive about it while 38 per cent were negative or very negative towards it.

How to keep running in a heatwave

The number of people I’ve seen out running in this current heatwave, both at the peak of the day and without a water bottle, is frankly more than a little alarming.

Running in near 30°C heat (feels like way more when you take into account irradiated ground heat) can be risky, especially when you are not used to it. It is easy to become dehydrated and overheated, which can lead to excessive sweating, headaches, nausea, tiredness, dizziness and muscle cramps.

You’ll likely stop running well, and may even find you are not able to run at the same pace or cover the same distance as you might run in milder temperatures.

My 22-year-old son is fit as a butcher’s dog (though as a vegetarian I don’t think he’ll much appreciate that comparison!) and ran the Virtual Virgin Money London Marathon around Harrogate alongside me in the autumn.

He returned from a late afternoon run last week with a severe headache and nausea and had to go and lie down in a darkened room for several hours. He still felt out of sorts the next morning. It’s likely he hadn’t modified his pace to allow for the heat and despite having a bottle of water with him, simply hadn’t rehydrated enough, even for a relatively short 7km run.

The rule of thumb is to steer clear of running in heat if you are a young child, pregnant or elderly as the risks are obviously greater. However, there are some potentially serious risks whatever your age or fitness, especially when doing endurance runs.

Serious consequences

Having witnessed healthy young people collapsing before the finish line whilst running races in the heat and humidity of Singapore, I’ve seen firsthand the toll pushing yourself regardless in extreme temperatures can have on the body, when running for a long time and not getting the right fluid intake balance.

In many cases these are runners who have most likely trained in different conditions. Whilst running London in April 2018, its hottest race on record, I witnessed many people collapsing because they weren’t used to training in such high temperatures.

The facts are simple; there can be serious health consequences to exercising in hot weather — regardless of activity, length of time or distance — such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Read more:

I recall finishing my second London Marathon (not a particularly hot one) shortly after a young lad collapsed crossing the finish line. He was surrounded by medics. Sadly this young man died, apparently due to flooding his body with too much water after opting to not take onboard any energy drinks or packs during the race.

It’s a fine balance, but one you must follow if you are going to train for any kind of endurance run and stay safe. Be it heat or distance, or with some races, like those in the Sahara, a combination of both.

If you are going to run in extreme temperatures, and let’s face it we don’t get a whole lot of practice in North Yorkshire, listen to your body and take sensible precautions to avoid getting overheated, even if you are just going out for half an hour.

Takeaway message

✔ Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, but don’t overdo it. Take small sips regularly.
✔ Avoid running in the heat of the day (between 11am and 3pm), dress light and ensure you wear breathable clothing to help regulate your body temperature.
✔ Slow down. Don’t try to run at your normal pace.

✔ Give yourself a chance to acclimatise to the temperature, usually a couple of weeks. Until then slow your pace!

REMEMBER… it really does come down to laziness where carrying a small bottle of water is concerned! Don’t be daft, be sensible, take a bottle and rehydrate as you run!

Sam Blakey is an international personal trainer working across the UK. She also has clients in the US, Singapore, Thailand and South Africa and ran a successful fitness company in Singapore before moving to Harrogate four years ago. She describes herself as a reluctant runner, who took up marathon running just before turning 40 to escape her five kids; she has since run eight marathons on three continents and completed several half marathons.

Fultons store in Harrogate to close this week

The Fultons Food store in Harrogate town centre is set to close this week.

Staff in the shop on Station Parade have told customers it will close on Thursday and some items will be relocated to the Poundland store in the town’s Victoria Shopping Centre.

Fultons on Station Parade has been running a half price sale this week.

Poundland bought Barnsley-based Fultons in October. Since then, Fultons stores in Ripon and Knaresborough have closed.

When the Harrogate town centre store closes, the Leeds Road shop on the outskirts of Harrogate will be the district’s only remaining Fultons.

The Stray Ferret contacted both Fultons and Poundland for further details about the move and for an update on the future of the Leeds Road store.

Poundland sent a statement saying Harrogate would be one of 37 stores in July and August to be part of the latest phase of a project to extend the company’s range of chilled and frozen foods.

According to the statement, the Harrogate Poundland will start offering chilled and frozen foods in the week commencing August 16.

Jack Fulton founded Fultons in 1960. The first Poundland store opened in Burton upon Trent in 1990.

Read more:

 

Mum’s campaign to name Harrogate cycling route after Mike Hall

A Harrogate mum is campaigning for one of the town’s proposed new cycling routes to be named in her son’s honour.

Mike Hall was an internationally renowned endurance cyclist who won the inaugural World Cycle Race in 2012.

In 2013 and 2016 he won the Tour Divide and in 2014 he also won the inaugural Trans Am Bike Race.

But Mike, who was born in Harrogate and went to Saltergate Junior School and St Aidan’s Church of England High School, died during a race in 2017 when he was hit by a car in Australia. He was 35.

Although he was well known in cycling circles around the world, his mum Pat Hall wants more people in Harrogate to recognise his name.

With North Yorkshire County Council planning to build several new cycling routes in Harrogate, Pat feels like the time is right for her son to get some recognition.

She told the Stray Ferret:

“Mike inspired an awful lot of people to take up cycling. He wanted to make sure it was accessible for everyone.

“I just want people to know about Mike, I am very proud of him. He always had time for people, even when he was getting more famous.

“Hopefully if this goes through then it will help to cement his legacy in Harrogate.”

Work on the delayed Otley Road cycle route is due to begin in October.

North Yorkshire County Council has also secured funding for cycling improvements on the A59 Harrogate Road in Knaresborough, between Badger Mount and Maple Close, and on Victoria Avenue in Harrogate between the A61 and Station Parade.

The county council also revealed last week that it plans to bid for funding for a cycleway linking Knaresborough and Flaxby Park as well as well another scheme to the west of Ripon.

There is a precedent for naming a cycleway after a local international rider.

The Beryl Burton cycle way, which connects Knaresborough and Harrogate, is named after after seven-time world champion cyclist Beryl Burton who raced for Knaresborough Cycling Club. She died in 1996.

Pat Hall is not alone in her view. When she first aired the idea last year it led to hundreds of emails to the county council.

Cllr Don Mackenzie could not confirm if it had any plans to name a cycle route after Mike Hall but told the Stray Ferret that it had received hundreds of endorsements for him.

Harrogate town centre social distancing planters removed

Planters in Harrogate town centre, which were put in place for social distancing, have been removed this morning.

Workers were seen removing the planters early this morning on Albert Street, with those on James Street expected to follow.

The measures were implemented at the height of lockdown for shoppers to distance from each other in the town centre.

However, the planters are now being removed in line with the lifting of covid restrictions nationally.

Read More: 

The move proved unpopular with some town centre businesses which said the loss of parking spaces affected trade.

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive councillor for access at North Yorkshire County Council, told the Stray Ferret yesterday that all social distancing measures and parking suspensions would be removed this week.

The move would include social distancing cones in Knaresborough.

However, the Ginnel in Harrogate is to remain closed to traffic for an unspecified period of time to support outdoor hospitality.

Live: Harrogate traffic and travel

Good morning and happy Tuesday. It’s Leah with you this morning giving you updates every 15 minutes on the road and rail links near you.

The blog, brought to you by the HACS group, will show you where the traffic hotspots and temporary traffic lights are and tell you of any train and bus delays.

Have a great day.

9am – Full Update

That is it from me this morning, Connor will be back with you tomorrow with updates every 15 minutes from 6.30am. Have a lovely day!

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres this morning but make sure to keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8.45am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres this morning but make sure to keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8.30am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres this morning but make sure to keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

8.15am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres this morning but make sure to keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic hotspots:

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

8am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres this morning but make sure to keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.45am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres this morning but make sure to keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.30am – Full Update

Roads

Traffic is starting to build in the Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon centres this morning but make sure to keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Traffic is building here:

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7.15am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning but make sure to keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

7am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning but make sure to keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.45am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning but make sure to keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

6.30am – Full Update

Roads

The roads are looking clear so far this morning but make sure to keep checking in for today’s traffic hotspots.

Temporary traffic lights are in place here:

Trains

Buses

 

Harrogate council ‘demonstrated unreasonable behaviour’ over Starbucks rejection, says inspector

Harrogate Borough Council “demonstrated unreasonable behaviour” in rejecting a Starbucks drive-thru on Wetherby Road, according to a government planning inspector.

Helen Hockenhull, who oversaw an appeal by developer Euro Garages in June, approved the development for the former 1st Dental Surgery site on Friday.

She also awarded full costs for the hearing against the council.

The council turned down the development back in 2019 on air quality and highways grounds, but later withdrew its objection.

The move forced residents fighting the proposal to defend the authority’s reasons for refusal at the hearing.

Read more:

In a decision notice, Ms Hockenhull said:

“The council have not provided any evidence to support their position. 

“The reasons for refusal in relation to highways and air quality amount to persistence in objections in respect of matters which an inspector has already found to be acceptable. 

“I accept that members would have local knowledge of the area and the junction and many members would have personal experience of traffic issues in this location. However, it was unreasonable to persist with such objections, particularly as the floor area of the proposal had been significantly reduced.

“Given the above, I find that the council has demonstrated unreasonable behaviour which has resulted in the applicant incurring unnecessary cost in the appeal process. A full award of costs is justified.”

In response the inspector’s comments, a council spokesman said:

“Officer recommendation of approval was carefully considered against a wide range of issues, including local and national planning policy, case law, consultation responses and anything else considered to be ‘material’ to the application.

“This recommendation was overturned by the planning committee and permission was refused, which led to a successful appeal by the applicant.

“An agreement on costs has not yet been reached.”

The proposed layout of the Starbucks site on Wetherby Road as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council. Picture: Euro Garages.

The proposed layout of the Starbucks site on Wetherby Road, as submitted to Harrogate Borough Council. Picture: Euro Garages.

A spokesperson for Euro Garages said:

“We are delighted to have received planning permission and we are very pleased with the inspector’s decision.

“This development will help to create up to 20 local jobs for the area.”

‘Angry’ and ‘astounded’

The move to approve the development came despite concerns from local residents over traffic and air quality.

Residents at the appeal warned that the road was already at “breaking point” and that such a development would adversely affect those living next door.

Ms Hockenhull said she recognised her findings would be “disappointing” to local people, but added that she was “not persuaded that the development would cause significant harm”.

Cllr Pat Marsh, who represents the area on the borough council, said she was left “anrgy” and “astounded” following the decision.

She said:

“Many people throughout Harrogate will be outraged by this. It is not an appropriate place to put a drive-thru.

“I cannot understand how they have come to this decision. I felt all our arguments had great strength to them.

“The residents could not have done better to put forward their arguments.”