Ripon gym granted extension to opening hoursHow ‘failing’ Harrogate squash club became a thriving sports centreThe gym owner aiming to make the community sweatKnaresborough gym granted extension to opening hoursThe fitness entrepreneur aiming to expand his franchise across YorkshireKnaresborough gym unveils £50,000 makeoverNew strength and conditioning gym to open in HarrogateHarrogate’s Rudding Park expansion approved

Councillors have approved plans by Rudding Park Hotel and Spa near Harrogate to a build a new golf clubhouse, family hub and four tennis courts and reinstate a walled garden.

North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee met in Northallerton this morning to consider the application, which the resort said will result in an additional 75 full-time jobs and lead to an extra £14.3 million being spent in the local area every year.

Planning documents said the current clubhouse was originally built as a temporary facility but had outgrown its useful life and “considerably discredits the course”.

The new two-storey building will include swimming pools, restaurants, a gym and changing rooms.

How the new clubhouse will look.

Another visual of the new clubhouse.

Simon Mackaness, owner of Rudding Park, told councillors the scheme would secure the future of the business.

He said:

“As owners, this application presents our family’s commitment to securing the long-term future of the site. The plans have been subject to much discussion with officers and consultees. It presents a unique opportunity to build on our past successes and provide high-quality facilities.”

The buildings will be constructed to the BREEAM ‘excellent’ environmental standard to put them in the top 10% of new buildings in the country.

Andy Brown, the Green Party councillor for Aire Valley, praised the scheme’s eco credentials.

He said:

“All too often we see developers pay lip service to biodiversity, sustainability and good design. I looked at this with a critical eye on those issues and was happy with what I saw.”

Green belt concerns

Rudding Park is a sprawling 300-acre estate three miles south of Harrogate. But because it sits on green belt land, planning policy only permits development in “very special circumstances”.

Neil Swannick, the Labour councillor for Whitby Streonshalh, said the positives did not outweigh the harm of building on the green belt.

He said:

“The economic benefits for the area are substantial, I recognise that, but will I support the building of a county club on the green belt? No, I won’t.”

However, Andrew Lee, the Conservatives and Independents group councillor for Appleton Roebuck and Church Fenton,  argued the strict tests for building on green belt had been met.

He said:

“Yes, it’s in the green built but Rudding Park is an important local site and they’ve demonstrated a commitment to sustainable development.

“The economic benefits mean more jobs for the local area, a £14m additional boost to local economy and securing the site for future generations and users. Taking all those things into account, I’m comfortable that the impact on the green built has been sufficiently mitigated.”

Councillors voted to approve the application with conditions by 12 votes to 1.

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Free rehabilitation offered to chronic pain sufferers in Harrogate

A gym in Harrogate has offered a free programme to help people suffering from chronic pain.

The six-month programme is based at the Nuffield Health gym in Hornbeam Park.

The programme is funded by the Nuffield charity and is worth roughly £1000 for each participant. It was designed by GPs, physiotherapists, and emotional wellbeing clinicians across the UK.

The course is run three times per year and can accommodate up to 60 participants at each start.

It is open to anyone who has suffered from pain and stiffness around a joint, lower back and neck pain, arthritis, gout and other conditions for more than six months. Participants can be referred to the programme by their GPs or can complete an online self-referral form.

Rehabilitation specialist at Nuffield Harrogate Melanie Hook said:

“At the charity we recognise there’s a need to support people living with chronic joint pain, affecting more than 8.75 million people in the UK and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The programme aims to empower and enable individuals with chronic joint pain to self-manage their condition and pain symptoms.”

For the first twelve weeks participants are expected to meet twice a week for a group workshop and an exercise session guided by joint pain experts.

Some of the exercises covered include joint strength training, flexibility training, yoga, and swimming. Full gym access is also provided for the entirety of the programme.

After this participants are moved to the next unsupervised phase where they can apply what they learnt in weeks 1-12 individually at the gym.

Those who have completed the programme have reported significant improvements to their pain levels and overall quality of life.

One participant said:

“I feel I have benefited enormously. I feel much stronger. I’m walking better. And my pain has reduced to the extent that I don’t need to take pain relief as much.”

Ms Hook added:

“Our program has been a huge success and since our start, we have had hundreds of participants go through the programme.

“Some stay on at the gym and others have gone away and kept up with their activity in other areas of their lives.”

To find out more click here.

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CrossFit gym in Ripon to host official opening tomorrow

A new CrossFit gym in Ripon is set to host its official open day tomorrow under the ownership of a local military man and his wife.

CrossFit Ripon’s opening will provide an opportunity to see the space, meet the team, watch live weightlifting demos, and even take part in fitness challenges.

There will also be several local vendors and businesses at the opening offering food and drinks, as well as skincare and nutritional advice.

The gym has already achieved 90% of its membership capacity in the weeks leading up to the official opening and is welcoming more potential customers at the new facility tomorrow.

Owners Mick and Sarah Meegan, who already run a smaller training studio in the city, faced a nine-month planning battle to secure the CrossFit Ripon unit.

They hope the new gym will tackle obesity and improve physical and mental wellbeing.

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CrossFit involves various high-intensity strength and conditioning exercises and has risen to popularity over the past two decades.

Mr Meegan, who is serving his final year of 21 years of military service, posted on social media:

“Our long-awaited open day is almost here, lots of hard graft has been going in at CFR HQ to make our training space pretty special.

“You guys won’t be disappointed.

“We look forward to meeting you all and getting you starting on your fitness journeys.”

The gym will be open every day and membership prices begin at £80 per month.

The open day will take place tomorrow at the unit on Ripon Business Park. It will run from noon until 4pm.