A consultation has revealed strong support for plans to create a sports village on the edge of Boroughbridge.
The Stray Ferret revealed last month local gym owner Darren Sadler and Boroughbridge Town Council were behind the scheme.
The 10-acre site at Aldborough Gate would include free to use community facilities, including a games field, a one kilometre running track, a sprint track and a multi-use games areas for team sports such as five-a-side football and netball, as well as a meeting room and a nature reserve.
There would also be a gym and functional strength training centre and a health food café run on a commercial basis by Mr Sadler, a former World’s Strongest Man competitor.
Of the 1,193 consultation responses so far, 93% either agree or strongly agree the facility would improve the health and wellbeing of the residents of Boroughbridge and neighbouring communities.
A total of 84% said physical activities were important to them with a fully equipped gym, exercise classes and outdoor games field generating the most support.
‘One of the biggest things we’ve ever done’
The proposal has been brought forward by Mr Sadler, the town council and Boroughbridge Sports Village, which is a newly formed charity.
The Stray Ferret met Cllr Sean Hynes, the mayor of Boroughbridge and Mr Sadler at his Absolute Fitness gym this week to find out more about the venture.
Mr Sadler is buying land off the town council to fund the commercial side of the operation.
Cllr Hynes said “all money we get from the sale of land will be put back into the project” to create free community facilities. He added:
“It’s one of the biggest things the town council has ever been involved in and we are pleased to have Darren and his team as a partner.
“We are all aware Boroughbridge is doubling in size but there are few places for young people to go.”
The sports village proposal revives previously failed town council plans to build sports facilities on the land, said Cllr Hynes. He added:
“The council is very excited about this. For a small town council it is a massive project and without Darren’s involvement, it would not get off the ground.”
‘We want to create a supergym’
Boroughbridge-born Mr Sadler no longer competes in strongman but over the last 10 years has had phenomenal success in the sport as a promoter.
He started off staging events in car parks and now organises World’s Strongest Man qualifying events under the Giants Live banner that regularly sell out huge arenas worldwide. Many of the biggest names in strongman regularly visit his gym.
His current schedule includes events at the Royal Albert Hall in London and in Las Vegas.
He said Absolute Fitness had outgrown its current site in Roecliffe and a new facility with a full equipped gym, including strength and functional training areas would enable the gym to help more people get fit, especially youngsters.
A map showing the location.
The proposed site
He added:
“We want to create a supergym and make it famous across the country. Every month I’d like to have special guests. I can get all the top strongmen to come, like Hafthor Bjornsson and Eddie Hall, but I want to bring in people from other sports as well.”
Mr Sadler said the extra space would also enable the gym to cater for martial arts, dance and a broader range of fitness classes.
A public consultation event at Boroughbridge Community Library this month.
A public consultation took place at Boroughbridge Community Library this month and people can still take part in the phase one consultation here. A planning application is expected to be submitted to North Yorkshire Council within the next month.
Cllr Hynes said there had already been “positive discussions” with the council about it but with a lengthy planning process ahead, neither party is willing to commit to a timeframe.
Mr Sadler said:
“We don’t want to rush. We want to get it right.”
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Harrogate’s Luke Richardson wins England’s Strongest Man
Harrogate strongman Luke Richardson won England’s Strongest Man yesterday to end his two-year injury nightmare.
Luke, 26, took the sport by storm when he won Europe’s Strongest Man at Allerton Castle near Knaresborough in 2020 and then finished ninth in the World’s Strongest Man in his first full season.
But at the 2021 World’s Strongest Man he suffered the first of what was to be a series of serious injuries to his biceps, knee and back that sidelined him and forced him to re-evaluate his approach.
Luke takes the England’s Strongest Man title. Pic: Giants Live
Talking about his career in a video with Giants Live, the company that runs the tour that qualifies strongmen for the World’s Strongest Man, he said:
“The last three years for me have easily been the toughest time I have had to go through in my life
“I went from having no injuries to having four in the last two years.”
Luke Richardson reflecting on the last two years. Pic: Giants Live
Luke went to Starbeck Community Primary School and Harrogate High School, said he had learned to live in the present and enjoy his success rather than constantly strive to be one of the greatest strongmen of all time.
He said he “felt no joy in winning those things which is ultimate failure because I was constantly looking at the next thing”.
His new mindset doesn’t appear to have hampered him as he proved at Doncaster yesterday by defeating Kane Francis and Paddy Haynes for the title of England’s Strongest Man, which qualifies him for Britain’s Strongest Man.
Luke trains at Absolute Fitness in Boroughbridge, which is owned by Giants Live owner and former top strongman Darren Sadler.
Doing the log lift at Absolute Fitness in Boroughbridge. Pic: Giants Live
Gyms and leisure centres in the Harrogate district are preparing to reopen next week after more than three months of lockdown.
But although thousands of people in the district are desperate to start lunging, pressing and punching their way back to fitness, gym life won’t be completely back to normal.
Ongoing social distancing restrictions mean many group training classes still won’t be available.
Ryan Tansley, owner of CrossFit Harrogate, at Hornbeam Park, said he was looking forward to reopening but because it couldn’t offer structured classes, it would operate more along the lines of an open gym.
CrossFit Harrogate has offered discounted rates to members during lockdown, and provided Zoom classes and various challenges, such as performing the most burpees.
Mr Tansley said:
“People have had to adapt but it will be so good to get back to seeing people.”
No sparring allowed
Contact won’t be allowed at Harrogate boxing and martial arts gym H Hour Boxing and Kao Loi, when it reopens next week, which means no sparring and pad work.
Owner Rob Smith said it will operate predominantly as a fitness gym rather than a combat gym until the situation changes. He said:
“We will do boxing training for fitness but our bread and butter is training people to compete and that’s on hold.”
The gym has produced many champion fighters, including Thai boxer Rachael Jones MacKenzie, but the impact of lockdown has left its future uncertain.
Rob Smith is the head coach at H Hour Amateur Boxing Gym.
Mr Smith plans to skydive to raise £5,000 to keep the gym afloat three days before his 50th birthday next month.
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Ripon refurbishment
As owner of Intrim in Ripon for the last 18 years, Phill McKay has been flying the flag for independent gyms at a time when big chains have been taking over. He said:
“We are as excited as our members are. We have air-con going in this week and a gym makeover so we will be ready to receive old and new members. We have also rebranded and have new equipment planned.”
Phill McKay of Intrim
Absolute Fitness in Boroughbridge, run by former World’s Strongest Man competitor Darren Sadler, who now promotes the biggest strongman events on the planet, is also reopening on Monday.
Functional fitness in Knaresborough
“We are so excited to get back to some form of normality and finally have our fitness community back at Black Wolf HQ.“They are what has kept us alive during this topsy-turvy time, and we can’t wait to welcome them back and celebrate what is hopefully set to be a fantastic summer.”
“We are pretty much going back to the same restrictions as before the January lockdown with the addition of twice weekly testing for all staff.“We have been on restricted numbers since we were allowed to reopen last year so for use things are similar to before Christmas.”
Pure Gym in Harrogate will open on Monday. The gym will be open 24 hours but studio classes will not begin until May 17.
Leisure facilities managed by Harrogate Borough Council are also due to resume on Monday. But again, things aren’t totally back to normal. A council spokesman said:
“The pool at The Hydro in Harrogate and Nidderdale Pool will reopen on April 12 for lane swimming and family sessions.
“Brimhams fitness centres at The Hydro, Nidderdale Leisure Centre and Ripon Leisure Centre will also reopen to members only.
“Turkish Baths Harrogate will reopen from this date for treatments only.”