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Ripon councillors are calling on North Yorkshire County Council not to sanction spending £3.5 million on remediation works at the city’s leisure centre.
The city council believes that other options should be fully investigated, including building a new centre at a different location where there are stable ground conditions.
The ground floor of the leisure centre has stayed closed due to safety concerns and Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) is to install a temporary gym on the site.
The call from city councillors comes after a report by engineering firm Stantec into the ground stability issues affecting the existing centre’s foundations.
The report, supplied following a Freedom of Information Request made to HBC, ruled out a new location for the centre, but Independent city council leader Andrew Williams, who was elected to NYCC in May, said:
“They (HBC) are blindly and belligerently pouring money into propping up a centre that is nearly 30 years old and there is no guarantee that more funding won’t be needed after remediation works begin.”
He added:
“These works would take the total spending on this project to £18 million – some £8 million above the original budget – and they can’t continue ploughing money into this site, with its known history of ground stability issues, including a sinkhole that opened up on the leisure centre car park in 2018.
“Instead of throwing good money after bad, we need to call on North Yorkshire Council, who will take over responsibility from April, to put an end to this additional spending and look for a suitable location for a new leisure centre to be built on sound land.”
As part of the devolution process, any major financial decisions by HBC will need to be approved by NYCC’s executive. Permission needs to be given for capital projects costing £1 million and above.
A report to a meeting of HBC’s cabinet in August said the authority had made “every effort to provide an accurate estimate” of the costs of the remediation works but added these could rise further once the ground stability works begin.
Response from Harrogate Borough Council
A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council, said:
“Building a new leisure centre at another site in Ripon would cost a significant amount of money and would result in two separate facilities to maintain, two sets of running and staffing costs, for example.
“It would also involve purchasing land in a suitable location that we don’t currently have, going through the planning application process and disposing of the existing building safely, all of which would take time and a considerable amount of money. And there is no guarantee that a different site wouldn’t have similar ground conditions.
“Co-location of both wet and dry leisure facilities is also important for increasing and sustaining participation in exercise, as well as optimising revenue and cost recovery.
“The new gym combined with the pool on one site is proving to be extremely popular, and will be further complimented by two new activity studios, sports hall, a spin studio as well as meeting facilities.”
The spokesperson, added:
“Our consulting engineer has advised that a do-nothing approach is not advised. And although there is no immediate change in the geological risk profile to the building – that was originally built in 1995 and has provided sport and leisure services for more than 25 years – it is recommended that ground stabilisation works are undertaken to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come.”
A leading authority on Ripon sinkholes has called on Harrogate Borough Council to ‘get a reality check’ and abandon plans to spend yet more money on the city’s leisure centre.
The council said this month it plans to carry out further ground stability measures at the site, which could take a year.
A report to be considered by HBC’s cabinet on Wednesday, says the work will cost £3.5 million. If approved, this will take the running total on the project to more than £18 million.
The original contract awarded in November 2019 to construction company Willmott Dixon, had a price tag of £10.2 million for delivery of the scheme. The completion date was originally scheduled for May 2021.
Chartered geologist and town planner Dr Alan Thompson, who was the principal author of a major report on the city’s subsidence issues, has said the site will always carry a “significant residual risk” of problems.
Dr Thompson added that by not considering relocating to a new site, the council was “ploughing more and more money into a scheme which is destined to fail”.
He has sent a letter by email to council chief executive Wallace Sampson and all cabinet members expressing his concerns.
But the council’s cabinet looks set to vote in favour of further expenditure on remediation works at the site, after issuing a statement a week ago, in which it said:
“Harrogate Borough Council is set to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come by carrying out ground stabilisation works underneath the original leisure centre.”
The statement added:
“Since the leisure centre was first built in 1995, there has been a monumental improvement in engineering technology to assess ground conditions. The contractor has used this technology to produce a comprehensive report and programme of work, which will be provided to the cabinet.
“If approved by the cabinet on 17 August, the investment project is due to start in the autumn. Once the stabilisation works are complete – anticipated to be the following autumn – the first floor of the original leisure centre will reopen.”
The council’s view is considerably at odds with Dr Thompson’s opinion on the situation.
The chartered geologist and town planner, whose comprehensive 1996 Ripon gypsum report was funded jointly by central government and Harrogate Borough Council, has spoken out, after studying detailed reports completed in June by consultants Stantec into ground and structural conditions at the leisure centre site.

Ripon Leisure Centre
The reports, which were obtained following a Freedom of Information request to the council by Ripon resident and chartered engineer Stanley Mackintosh, were supplied to Dr Thompson, who said the documents:
“Have confirmed in great detail what was already known: that the leisure centre was built on very unstable land.
“They have also brought into sharp focus just how unstable it is, with the piled foundations deteriorating at an alarming rate, as a direct consequence of the ongoing nature of the subsidence processes.
“These findings have substantial implications in terms of the costs of further investigation and remediation, adding to those which have already been incurred.
“Disturbingly, however, the remediation which is being proposed — similar to that which has already been implemented beneath the new pool — cannot resolve the underlying cause of the problem: that of ongoing gypsum dissolution at depths of around 40 metres beneath the site.
“However much money is poured into this site, there will always be a significant ‘residual risk’ because of the unresolved problem of dissolution.”
Dr Thompson added:
“Astonishingly, the option of relocation has been excluded from consideration, for the stated reason that it is “not considered by Harrogate Borough Council to offer a more cost-effective approach”.
“By not allowing that option to even be considered, Harrogate Borough Council has blatantly tilted the balance in favour of ploughing more and more money into a scheme which is destined to fail. “
In a direct appeal to Mr Sampson, Dr Thompson added:
“I would therefore urge you – and the council – to get a ‘reality check’ on what is going on here – in particular, the council’s outrageous failure to benchmark the escalating costs against the option of relocation.
“At the very least, proper, professional and independent consideration needs to be given to the concept of relocating the leisure centre and the new pool to an alternative site which is not affected by gypsum-related subsidence.
“Only by doing that, and by factoring the residual risk of staying at Camp Close into the equation, can the true cost-effectiveness of the options be properly compared.”
The Stray Ferret put Dr Thompson’s concerns to Harrogate Borough Council.
In response, a council spokesperson said:
Ripon Leisure Centre ground works will cost £3.5 million“Our consulting engineer has previously stated that in their professional opinion a do-nothing approach is not advised. And although there is no immediate change in the geological risk profile to the building – that was originally built in 1995 and has provided sport and leisure services for more than 25 years – it is recommended that ground stabilisation works are undertaken.
“Therefore, in order to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come, we plan on carrying out these necessary ground stabilisation works in the coming months.
“We’d also like to reaffirm these works are underneath the original leisure centre and not underneath the new six-lane 25metre swimming, which has had the necessary foundations in place.”
Ground stability work at Ripon Leisure Centre is set to cost £3.5 million and cause further delays for a refurbishment project which is already over budget and more than a year overdue.
The costs have been revealed in a Harrogate Borough Council report, which said the project now won’t be completed until spring 2024.
The centre’s new swimming pool opened this year, but plans for a larger gym and exercise studios have been delayed after underground voids were discovered beneath the older half of the site which was built in 1995.
Engineering firm Stantec carried out ground investigations over winter and has now proposed remedial works, which will cost the council £3.5 million and mean parts of the centre are closed for at least 10 months from November.

A temporary gym in the venue’s car park has also been proposed and will cost an additional £300,000, while the new swimming pool will remain open throughout.
A report to a meeting of the council’s cabinet next week said the authority had made “every effort to provide an accurate estimate” of the costs, but added these could rise further once the ground stability works begin.
The report also said:
“It is appropriate and timely to undertake the remedial works now.
“The consulting engineer has previously stated that in their professional opinion a do-nothing approach is unacceptable from a public safety perspective.
“By undertaking the works, which also include installing post works monitoring equipment, the council will ensure that it has put into place adequate mitigation to address the risks.”
A decision to build the new swimming pool next to the existing leisure centre was made in 2019 despite some councillors raising “deep concerns” over ground stability issues at the site where a sinkhole opened up the previous year.
The council continually insisted that professional advice made it clear that the site is “safe to use” before it awarded a £10 million contract for the project to construction firm Wilmott Dixon in 2020.
Since then, a further £4.5 million has been set aside by the council after the discovery of the underground voids and other issues which delayed the opening of the new swimming pool.
This extra money does not include the ground stability works or temporary gym costs revealed this week.
If approved by cabinet members, the ground stability works will start in December and end next summer before checks are carried out and a monitoring system is installed.
The refurbishment works would then start after this, with completion in spring 2024.
Council set to carry out ground stability work at Ripon Leisure Centre
Ground stability work is set to start underneath Ripon Leisure Centre and could take a year to complete.
The project comes as an investigation was carried out following the discovery of a void beneath the original leisure centre in 2020.
Harrogate Borough Council said the void is understood to have been “present for a number of years and was only discovered when the reinforced concrete slab, which provides the foundation for the new swimming pool, was cast”.
Senior Harrogate borough councillors will be recommended to approve the stability work at a cabinet meeting on August 17.
If approved, work will start on the project in the autumn but could take a year to complete – meaning it will be finished after the council is abolished.
The first floor of the original leisure centre will reopen once the work is complete.
A temporary gym has been proposed for Ripon Leisure Centre while the stabilisation work is carried out.
Cllr Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, said:
Developer given extra time on 30-house scheme in Ripon“By addressing these historic issues it allows us the opportunity to further invest in the facility and ensure future generations will be able to access modern sport and leisure facilities in their city for many years to come.
“And by providing a temporary gym, while the ground stabilisation works take place, we can minimise the disruption to current and potential customers and ensure they can continue to maintain their health and wellbeing goals.”
A developer looks set to be given extra time to complete a report into ground stability for a 30-house scheme in Ripon.
Wetherby firm Newett Homes received planning permission in February to build 30 homes at Springfield Close. Its previous bid to build 38 homes was refused.
But Harrogate Borough Council‘s decision was conditional on the company producing a satisfactory ground stability report within four months. Ripon is a notorious area for sink holes.
The report has yet to be produced but next week’s council planning committee looks set to grant Newett Homes a four-month extension.
A council officer’s report to the planning committee recommends it awards extra time but adds that if the report is not produced in another four months “the application be refused” due to concerns over unstable and contaminated land.
The report says:
“The applicant been progressing site investigations to determine the ground stability of the site but has been unable to complete the ground stability report within the specified four-month period, due to extensive lead-in times for the various elements of the necessary work.
“They are therefore seeking an extension of time for a further period to allow the works to be completed.”
It adds that given the amount of work that has already been carried out “it would be counterproductive to refuse the application at this stage, as it would result in additional unnecessary work for both the local authority and the applicant and could delay the site coming forward”.
The report concludes:
“It is therefore proposed to permit an extension of time to allow for the continuation of on-site works required to prepare the full ground investigation report.
“The recommendation is to extend the period to 30th October 2022.”
Councillors will decide on Tuesday next week whether to accept the officer’s recommendation.
Why more construction challenges lie ahead for Ripon leisure centre
There were celebrations at Ripon’s Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre this month when a multi-million pound swimming pool opened after months of costly delays.
It was hailed as a “major development” by Harrogate Borough Council, which invited the city’s three-time Olympic medalist to officially open the new facility that proudly displays his name above the main entrance.
The opening on March 2 was also welcomed by residents who were left without a pool for months after the closure of Ripon Spa Baths in November.

Jack Laugher holds his Olympic gold medal at the opening.
But attention is now turning to the outcome of an investigation into ground conditions beneath the older half of the leisure centre where an underground void was discovered in 2020.
The investigation by engineering firm Stantec could end next week and will be followed by a report setting out what reinforcement works will be required ahead of the completion of the venue’s redevelopment project, which is nine months overdue and £4million over budget, and included the new pool.
A spokesperson for the council said:
“These investigations began in February and should be finished in the coming week.
“Once they have been completed, we will have a comprehensive understanding of what is required to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come.
“Should remedial work be required, the final stages of the investment project – predominantly to the ground floor of the existing leisure centre – will be completed once this work has been carried out.”
The underground void was discovered in 2020, but only became public knowledge last May when the £110,000 investigation was agreed by councillors.
This was followed by an initial report from Stantec last November which was described as “sobering reading” by council leader Richard Cooper.
The report suggested there had been a “significant deterioration” of the ground beneath the older half of the leisure centre, which was built in 1995 and like much of Ripon sits on gypsum deposits.
It also said piles were not driven deep enough into the ground during the initial construction and that it remained unclear why this happened as “many critical records” were missing.
The report added strengthening works could include steelworks, thickened floors and grouting where mortar is pumped into the ground – the same method “successfully” used to stabilise the new pool.
However, it said strengthening alone is “unlikely to mitigate risks to acceptable levels” and that other measures would be required, including long-term monitoring.

The new Ripon swimming pool.
The council decided to build the pool next to the leisure centre in 2019 despite some councillors raising “deep concerns” about ground stability at the site where a sinkhole opened up the previous year.
The council has continually insisted that professional advice has made it clear that the site is “safe to use”.
But what remains to be seen are the crucial conclusions of the ongoing investigation, which is likely to stretch the project further into this year.
Ripon Independents councillor Pauline McHardy said while she and many residents were “delighted” with the new pool, it was now key that any extra costs and delays were kept to a minimum.
She said:
Council insists Ripon pool ‘safe’ to open despite sinkhole fears“We must remember that a sinkhole appeared on the land prior to the work starting, so Harrogate Borough Council knew the risk they were taking of building on that land rather than elsewhere in Ripon.
“I hope the remainder of the work can be completed quickly and with minimal further cost to deliver the combined leisure and swimming facility that Ripon was promised.”
Harrogate Borough Council officials have said the new Ripon swimming pool will be safe to open despite news this week that further ground investigations are necessary.
The six-lane pool on Dallamires Lane is due to open on December 8. The adjoining leisure centre is due to partially open on the same date.
The council issued a statement this week saying it planned to carry out “ground remedial works and a thorough investigation programme” of the leisure centre site, which could result in further remedial work and a six-month closure.
It follows the discovery of a void near the leisure centre last year, which prompted an investigation at an estimated cost of £110,000.
The Stray Ferret asked the authority whether it remained confident the pool was safe to open next month despite the need for further work, which will include commissioning a 3D map of underground soil conditions
A spokesperson said the sites were “two separate foundations” and that the swimming pool was safe to use.
As reported by the Stray Ferret, Ripon-based chartered engineer Stanley Mackintosh has consistently raised concerns with the council about the suitability of building a swimming pool on land with a history of ground instability issues.
Mr Mackintosh told the Stray Ferret that public safety at the site had “to be the overriding consideration” and that he would be writing to senior Harrogate councillors ahead of their decision on further investigative works on Wednesday.
Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, has also previously raised safety concerns following an investigation by consultancy firm Stantec into the “cavity” that appeared at the site in September last year.
News of the latest investigation raises questions over whether the ground instability problems can be permanently solved and how much it will cost taxpayers to fund any further remedial works that may be required.
The city’s leisure centre will only be partially open when the new swimming pool comes on stream in five weeks time.
The ground floor is to remain closed, while the first floor gym will open.
Council officials said in a report that the leisure centre could continue to operate half open while investigations at the site are carried out, possibly in the New Year.
It said:
“In August 2021, an officer decision was made, following advice from the consulting engineers that Ripon Leisure Centre could continue to operate on the reconfigured and refurbished first floor.
“The consulting engineers informed officers that they did not believe that there had been a geological change to the risk profile of the building since the initial void at the right hand side by the entrance was discovered in 2020.”
However, the site will close for six months if further further work is required. The report added that the investigation would not affect the swimming pool.
When asked why the first floor of the leisure site was to remain open instead of closing the entire building during the investigations, a council spokesperson said “the consulting engineers have advised the existing leisure centre can remain open”.
The void is understood to have been beneath the older half of the centre for several years and was discovered near where a sinkhole opened up in 2018. Ripon is notorious for sinkholes.
The initial investigations covered around 15% of the building’s footprint and if approved by senior councillors next week, the remainder will be surveyed.
It is likely this will lead to the need for ground strengthening works, similar to what was done to stabilise the ground beneath the new swimming pool.
During this time, the council said it would look to provide gym facilities at a different venue in the city which is one of the UK’s most sinkhole-prone areas.
Another councillor calls for sinkhole study into Ripon leisure centreA Ripon councillor who voted in favour of the city’s new swimming pool and leisure centre refurbishment, is now supporting calls for an independent investigation into the scheme.
Sid Hawke was one of eight councillors on Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee that approved an application two years ago for a new six-lane pool to be built alongside the existing leisure centre, which would be refurbished.
But following fresh concerns about sinkholes, Cllr Hawke, an independent who represents Ripon Ure Bank on Harrogate Borough Council, told the Stray Ferret:
“If I knew then, what I know now, I would have definitely voted against it.
“I’ve wanted a new swimming pool for Ripon for years, but the public interest must come first.
“I fully support an independent investigation looking into safety issues, so we can get them all sorted out.”
Also on the planning committee, which met on June 25, 2019, was Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat leader on Harrogate Borough Council, who was one of three councillors to abstain. Conservative councillor Nigel Simms voted against, because of misgivings about the suitability of the site two years ago.
Last week Cllr Marsh called for an independent investigation into the multi-million pound development at Camp Close, off Dallamires Lane.
Her comments followed safety concerns raised in a report by the multi-national consultancy Stantec, which were amplified by Dr Alan Thompson, a leading authority on the gypsum and sinkhole issues affecting all types of development in the Ripon area.

Cllr Pat Marsh
Cllr Marsh’s call came in the wake of the Stray Ferret’s exclusive story about safety concerns that came to light after Stantec’s inspection of a cavity discovered close to the leisure centre entrance in September.
The cavity, in the area where the new pool is due to be attached to the existing leisure centre, is in close proximity to a sinkhole that opened up on the centre car park.
That sinkhole arose 16 months before the planning meeting where the new pool was voted through.
Cllr Marsh, said:
“I’m pleased that Cllr Hawke supports my call for an investigation and I hope that other Ripon councillors will follow suite.
“The people of Ripon deserve a new pool — but there have been long-term ground stability issues in this area, as I know from the time when the leisure centre was being built.
“With this in mind, I couldn’t vote for further development at Camp Close as I thought that other site options should have been considered.
“We will see what the investigation commissioned by Harrogate Borough Council says about the cavity and then press for an independent safety investigation.”
A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said last week:
“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 advise on what would be required to provide this much needed 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.”
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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