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19
May 2021
Starbeck Baths: frustration grows over re-opening uncertainty
It doesn't look like anyone will be jumping into Starbeck Baths anytime soon, as there is still no news of a reopening date.
Starbeck Baths is one of five pools run by Harrogate Borough Council.
Harrogate Hydro and Nidderdale Pool reopened when government guidelines permitted on April 12.
Ripon Spa Baths opened last Friday but Starbeck Baths and Knaresborough Pool remain closed.
Last month Stanley Lumley, the council's cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said he hoped both Ripon and Starbeck pools would reopen in May, with Starbeck "very soon after".
But with less than a fortnight of May remaining, there have been no further updates.
When the Stray Ferret asked the council for an update on Starbeck yesterday, a spokesman said there was no further news.
The uncertainty is frustrating for local residents, including Chris Watt, who said:
The Starbeck Residents Association previously told the Stray Ferret the pool "should be kept open at all costs" and that it feared covid was being used as an "excuse" to keep it closed.
The 150-year-old building is often used by local schools and residents.
Maintenance work at Knaresborough Pool, due to be carried out by specialist engineers from Spain, has been halted by travel restrictions.
However, the council has said it was trying to find a UK-based firm to fix the problem. No date for its reopening has been announced.
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