No.5: Concerns remain over spiralling costs of Ripon leisure scheme

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the ongoing saga over Ripon leisure centre, its delays and increasing costs.

The end is in sight for Harrogate Borough Council — but will decisions it made about building a new Ripon swimming pool and refurbishing the existing leisure centre at Dallamires Lane come back to haunt council tax payers after the authority’s abolition in April?

Money already spent on the project stands at £14.5 million and still to be added is £3.5 million for extra ground stabilisation on site and a further £300,000 for a temporary gym due to open in the New Year.

The contract awarded to construction company Willmott Dixon in November 2019 was for delivery of the new pool and refurbished centre in May 2021 at a cost of £10.2 million. But the need for ground stabilisation works ahead of the pool’s construction added to the cost and caused delays.

The subsequent discovery in September 2020 of a ‘void’ close to the leisure centre entrance led to an investigation by engineering consultancy Stantec which identified ground stability issues under the leisure centre and a requirement for extensive remediation works to keep the building in use.

Opening of the temporary gym will enable the 27-year-old centre building to be vacated while work is carried out to shore up its foundations, but HBC has indicated that the need for more funding may be identified when this is underway.

The Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, including a newly-constructed six lane swimming pool, opened in March – more than nine months behind the original schedule

A report to a meeting of council’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.

Concerns raised by Ripon City Council

Ripon City Council raised concerns about the costs for the additional ground stabilisation and called for an end to the spending on the multi-million pound project and for HBC to fully investigate other options, including building a new leisure centre at a different location where ground conditions are stable.

At its full meeting in October, Independent city council leader Andrew Williams, said the works would take the total spending on the project at Dallamires Lane to £18 million – some £8 million above the original budget.

He added:

“They (HBC) 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.”

Response from Harrogate Borough Council

The call to search for an alternative location for the centre has been rejected by the borough council. A spokesperson for the 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 complemented 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.”

 

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