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06
Aug
Work progresses on the reinstatement of playing fields at Ripon site
Green shoots are in evidence at the Ripon leisure centre site, where work on the reinstatement of playing fields is underway.
In June, the ground was levelled and grass seeded.
The work will eventually see the recreational land donated in 1948 by former Ripon councillor Alderman Cyril Wade 'for the benefit of the young people of the city' brought back into active use after being closed to the public for more than five years.
That's how long work has been taking place refurbishing the existing leisure centre building and constructing a new six-lane pool at the Camp Close site, which has a history of sinkholes and unstable ground.
The overall cost of the scheme, which was initially announced as a 17-month, £10.2 million contract in 2019, is now £23 million after the project inherited by North YorkshIre Council from the now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council, suffered major delays while ground stability works were carried out.
In May, Councillor Simon Myers, North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for leisure, said that landscaping work is expected to be completed this summer.
In a statement, he pointed out:
However, as with all landscaping works, it can be affected by planting and growing seasons and some features may take longer to fully mature.
The playing fields will reopen to the public once the newly seeded grass has established, and a football pitch is part of the scheme.
Flashback to late June when seeding was underway.
While landscaping is underway, the refurbishment of the 1995 leisure centre building continues and is due for completion in the summer of 2026.
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