Harrogate Borough Council has voted to press ahead with plans to open a new leisure centre and pool in Ripon next month despite concerns about the long-term safety of the site.

A new council-commissioned report by engineering company Stantec outlines measures to mitigate the effects of a void that was detected last year.

The report says the measures should allow the pool and the first floor of the leisure centre to open safely on December 8 while the ground floor remains closed.

But it adds there is a “residual risk” of “catastrophic collapse” because of ongoing ground instability issues at the Dallamires Lane site since the original leisure centre was built in 1995.

This prompted Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, and Stanley Mackintosh, a chartered engineer in Ripon, to write to the council urging it to postpone a decision and give greater consideration to finding an alternative site.

But at last night’s cabinet meeting, councillors voted unanimously in support of a recommendation by Michael Constantine, the council’s head of operations, to carry out further work while opening most of the site.

Dr Thompson and Mr Mackintosh’s concerns were not mentioned.

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Mr Constantine said work would probably start in January and last nine months, during which time the ground floor of the leisure centre will be closed.

Michael Constantine at last night’s meeting

He said the council had been “assured by consultants” that this course of action was safe.

Councillor Stanley Lumley, the cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said:

“We have to follow the advice of the professionals. That’s why we pay them, why we employ them. We should surely act on that advice given.”

Council leader Richard Cooper added:

“We are providing a state of the art swimming pool for the people of Ripon to replace a pool that could have collapsed at any time.”

Two sinkhole experts have urged councillors to consider finding an alternative site for the new Ripon leisure centre and pool — a month before it is due to open.

Their comments come after a newly released report by engineering company Stantec revealed the Dallamires Lane site could be permanently plagued by the threat of sinkholes.

Harrogate Borough Council commissioned the report after a void was discovered last year.

Michael Constantine, the council’s head of operations, has recommended councillors approve remedial work at a cabinet meeting tonight. But the experts have urged them to postpone a decision and take a longer-term view of the issues raised in the report.

Stanley Mackintosh, a chartered engineer in Ripon, said in a letter to the council that there was a “substantial risk of sudden catastrophic collapse” of land on the site due to the weak “pie-crust” nature of the land.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“The long term safety implications and unfathomable future costs seem to be very seriously underestimated by the council.”

Read more:

• Ripon Spa Baths closes after 116 years
• Ripon Leisure Centre: Harrogate council plans 3D soil map amid sinkhole fears

The Stantec report reveals there has been substantial and ongoing ground instability beneath the leisure centre building over three decades. It suggests the only way to avoid ongoing problems and costs is to find another site because the bedrock beneath the void is significantly disturbed and collapsed.

Mr Mackintosh, who has consistently raised concerns with the council about building a pool on land with a history of ground instability issues, said the report to councillors tonight contained “inaccuracies and omissions”.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I am concerned that the new connecting walkway bridge may be a structural weak link, potentially unsafe for routine use by public and staff.

“As a chartered engineer, it remains my opinion that continuing to use the first floor of the existing leisure centre – and the said ‘weak link’ aerial walkway access to it– is an inadvisable and unnecessary risk to public safety.

“We should each, perhaps, honestly ask ourselves: “What kind of catastrophe at this Ripon Camp Close development, in part consequential to our own choices or inaction, could ever be justified?”

‘Gradual collapse’

Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, said he believed “gradual collapse” was a likelier scenario than sudden collapse.

Harrogate Borough Council has installed a new set of lights in the Sun Colonnade in the first of a series of winter improvement in Harrogate’s Valley Gardens.

The council spent £15,000 on LED lighting to make the area, which has been subject to anti-social behaviour, more attractive and safer.

In the coming weeks the council plans to steam clean the Sun Colonnade and remove some of the heavy ivy, which would encourage growth of other vines.

The council is also planning to add lights to the trees along the lime tree walk, adjacent to the Sun Colonnade

It comes ahead of a £240,000 refurbishment of the nearby Sun Pavilion, which is set to be complete by February next year.

The Sun Pavilion improvements include reconstructing the floor, new underfloor heating and insulation as well as new floor coverings.

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A spokesperson for the council said:

“The new lights in the Sun Colonnade have been installed to improve and enhance this area of the gardens.

“The energy efficient LED lighting comes on late afternoon and then goes off late at night and will provide lighting to this area for many years to come.

“We have a whole programme of maintenance and improvements in Valley Gardens this winter, including steam cleaning the Sun Colonnade and removing some of the heavy ivy from the roof to allow more light through and other vines to flourish, as well as installing tree lights along Lime Tree Walk.

“Valley Gardens is both popular with residents and visitors and we want to enhance the use of this beautiful space to allow us to do more in the future.”

Harrogate Borough Council has vowed to replace missing and damaged signs that warn drivers not to park on the Stray.

The signs went up in September in response to concerns that parked cars were regularly straddling the cycle lane and the Stray on Oatlands Drive.

The signs say this is a breach of the Stray Act and could result in a £100 fine.

Harrogate District Cycle Action welcomed the move and the council and the Stray Defence Association hoped the move would prevent tyre damage on Stray land.

However, soon after the signs appeared the Stray Ferret published pictures of motorists ignoring them and cars have continued to line the Stray as before, most commonly at weekends when activities like football take place.

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• Stray Views: Double yellow lines would solve Stray parking problems instantly

Despite the evidence, the council told the Stray Ferret it had not yet handed out any fines for breaches.

A council spokesperson said:

“The signage on Oatlands Drive, that reminds people not to park on the Stray, will be reinstated as we continue to work with the county council to try and find a more permanent solution.

“To date, no fines have been issued.”

It is unclear if the signs have been vandalised or fallen over. But some of the dozen installed are damaged and strewn on the other side of the road.

Some of the signs are damaged.

Sicklinghall Cricket Club has submitted plans to build a new clubhouse and scoreboard after an arson attack destroyed their previous building.

The club has been using temporary shipping containers since the fire in 2016 while fundraising for a replacement clubhouse. A JustGiving campaign raised over £6,500.

The club, which is between Wetherby and Kirkby Overblow, has played in the village since 1925 and is currently in the top tier of the Leeds and Wetherby Cricket League.

It has submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council for a clubhouse with home and away changing rooms, kitchen, storage facility, toilet and scorer’s box. The club says it could be used for other community or sports events.

The club is within walking distance of Sicklinghall and the application could provide sports facilities for local children.

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• Bilton Cricket Club cancels fireworks display

An image of the fire in 2016

Businesses and council representatives clashed in a heated two-hour debate about the £10.9 million Harrogate Station Gateway scheme last night.

Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce hosted the largest face-to-face gathering to discuss the revised design plans.

The meeting revealed deep divisions between businesses and those championing the scheme, which aims to make the area around the train station more attractive and easier to navigate for cyclists and pedestrians.

Only four people out of about 75 in the room stood when asked to do so if they supported reducing traffic on Station Parade to single lane.

That is one of the most controversial aspects of the scheme, along with pedestrianising the section of James Street from Princes Square to Station Parade

The meeting ended with some businesses threatening to apply for a judicial review to halt the scheme. But why are businesses so opposed to a scheme that is supposed to make the town centre more attractive and increase visitors?

Below are some of the key talking points.

As consultation on the revised plans, which are supported by North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, draws to a close on Friday, it remains to be seen whether the issues can be resolved.

1 Why is it necessary?

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, the executive member for access who is leading on the scheme, said Harrogate was the most congested place in North Yorkshire besides York.

He said a Harrogate congestion study run by the council four years ago in response to the decision not to proceed with a bypass, provided a mandate for change because about 80% of respondents said they wanted the town centre to be friendlier to cyclists and pedestrians. The study generated 15,500 replies, which Cllr Mackenzie said was the council’s “largest ever public engagement”.

Harrogate businessman Terry Bramall said a lot had changed in the four years since the Harrogate Congestion Study. He said plans to pedestrianise part of James Street would “create havoc with traffic flows” and questioned why cycling groups had been consulted but “as a property owner on James Street I haven’t been approached”.

Cllr Mackenzie replied that he’d spoken to three businesses on James Street that were supportive of the scheme and that those proposing it had “made themselves available at all times”.

Don Mackenzie (left) speaking at last night’s meeting.

2 Loss of parking and disruption

Just 40 parking spaces would be lost, said Cllr Mackenzie, mainly on James Street. But some businesses were worried about the knock-on effects.

Sue Savill, director of Party Fever on Station Parade, said plans to reduce Station Parade to single lane traffic and build a cycle route on land currently used for parking outside shops on her side of the street would create major problems.

Matthew Roberts, economy and transport officer at Harrogate Borough Council, said there were plans to make it easier to cross Station Parade but added “you are one of the businesses we need to speak to about logistics”.

Ms Savill said this was all very well but carrying a pallet of stock into the shop from the other side would be problematic.

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3 Where is the evidence it will boost trade?

Nick Brown, a Conservative who represents Bishop Monkton and Newby on Harrogate Borough Council, asked whether a detailed economic assessment of the impact on businesses had been conducted and, if so, could it be made public before the consultation ends.

Dan Harper, executive officer economy and transport at Harrogate Borough Council, said the final economic impact assessment couldn’t be produced until the final designs for the scheme, which is currently at revised design stage, were available. Mr Harper said this was the standard ‘continual process’ approach recommended by the Treasury, adding:

“It’s not something we ignore or don’t do.”

Independent retailer William Woods also asked for evidence that the scheme wouldn’t have a negative impact on the town’s economy.

Cllr Mackenzie replied:

“I believe this investment will be a boost to the town centre.”

Hazel Barry, chief executive of toiletries firm H2k, said:

“I don’t see any evidence. There’s nothing in this report that says it will bring me more customers and bring more visitors to the town. If we are going to move forward on this project we need some answers otherwise it’s a lot of money for not much reward.”

Just four people in the meeting supported making Station Parade single lane.

4 Is the traffic modelling accurate?

Businesses were sceptical about claims that making Station Parade single lane would not cause congestion or clog up side roads, particularly those off Cheltenham Parade.

Sue Kramer, who owns Crown Jewellers, asked “are we going to let a computer programme decide the future of our roads?”.

Sarah Spencer, of tax consultancy Sarah Spencer Ltd, said such modelling tended to “start with the answer they want and work back”.

Matthew Roberts, economy and transport officer at Harrogate Borough Council, said there would be an extra two or three cars a minute on Cheltenham Mount.

Responding to questions about why Harrogate Borough Council had not deemed an environmental impact assessment necessary, he said:

“The impact on air quality isn’t a massive one.”

Aidan Rayner, Transforming Cities Fund delivery project manager at North Yorkshire County Council, denied claims that traffic data was based on lockdown levels. He said it was based on 2018 levels even though there was evidence that traffic had reduced by 6% since then.

Karl Battersby, corporate director for business and environmental services at the county council, said there had been “no meddling of the data” and said this scheme didn’t go as far as others elsewhere in the country to encourage active travel, which had introduced measures such as low emission zones.

5 Will it make the town centre more attractive?

The gateway aims to improve people’s first impressions of Harrogate when they arrive by train by opening up the space around the Queen Victoria monument. It also aims to increase footfall by encouraging more people to bring their bikes on the train to Harrogate, or make it easier and more pleasant for local people to cross the town centre on bike or foot.

Daniel d’Arcy Thompson, managing director of Fabric and Co, said the gateway epitomised “pocket planning” whereby funding was secured for individual projects that didn’t take a joined-up approach to improving the town. He said:

“This is micro pocket planning at its worst. Until you give us a full scheme it’s just nonsense.”

Cllr Mackenzie said other schemes in the pipeline, such as the Otley Road cycle route, showed a joined-up approach to getting across town by bike.

Fortune Tofa, an accountant, told the meeting:

“The town is looking dated. We need to be bold and embrace this to continue to be relevant.”

What is the Harrogate Station Gateway?

The Harrogate scheme is one of three projects worth a combined £42m in Harrogate, Skipton and Selby funded by the Leeds City Region Transforming Cities Fund, which encourages cycling and walking.

They are being delivered in partnership by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, North Yorkshire County Council, Harrogate Borough Council, Craven District Council and Selby District Council.

A consultation on the revised designs ends on Friday. It is anticipated that work in Harrogate will begin by the middle of next year.

To take part in the online consultation, which ends on Friday, click here.

A lack of affordable homes in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is forcing young and low-paid families to move away, a meeting has heard.

Members of Harrogate Borough Council’s overview and scrutiny commission last night called for greater action to bring forward more affordable homes in the area, which has seen average property prices climb to around £320,000, according to Zoopla.

The AONB covers around two-thirds of the Harrogate district but only has 9% of its population and councillor Tom Watson, who represents the Nidd Valley ward, expressed fears that it could become “barren”.

He said:

“If we don’t have small developments in the area, village schools are going to close, pubs are already on the way out and village shops are also going to go.

“The AONB is there to protect the countryside, but we have got to make sure the area is a living one and not barren.”

227 households on waiting list

Created in 1994, the AONB was introduced to conserve the countryside with levels of protection from developments.

A total of 253 homes were recently proposed at sites in Darley, Dacre, Summerbridge and Pateley Bridge under the council’s Harrogate district Local Plan 2014-35. But government planning inspector ruled that they would have had too great an impact.

Since then, a growing number of residents have struggled to get a footing on the property ladder with 227 households currently on the council’s waiting list for social housing in Upper Nidderdale.

And with an average of just 20 vacancies becoming available each year, the waiting list would take around 10 years to clear if no more households came forward.

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Councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the council’s Liberal Democrats, described the situation as “really sad” and said efforts to build affordable homes on small plots of council-owned land were only a “tiny drop in the ocean”.

Council planners said they were also demanding affordable homes be built at developments of more than 10 properties to try tackle the problem.

Smaller profits

However, Jenny Kerfoot, executive officer for housing growth at the council, said landowners were often reluctant to bring forward plans for affordable housing because of the smaller profits involved.

She added the council was hopeful these landowners have “given up hope that their land is worth a lot of money” now that the Local Plan has been adopted and any large developments have been ruled out.

She said:

“There won’t be any of these big sites in the AONB or predominantly for market housing so it’s our intention now to approach those landowners.”

Councillor Victoria Oldham, a Conservative who represents the Washburn ward, said another possible solution would be the conversion of disused farm buildings, but she added any new developments were often met with opposition from locals.

She said:

“We all know little pockets of land in the area where a pair of semis could easily go, but half of the problem would be the negativity from parish councils or people in the immediate vicinity.

“I’m pretty much against large developments in the AONB because we haven’t got the transport facilities. A lot of places don’t even have shops or post offices – and you can forget banking.

“But one or two houses in areas would be of benefit as something needs to be done.”

A decision on the future of Harrogate Borough Council’s former Crescent Gardens offices is still to be made, almost two years after the building was sold.

Impala Estates, a property investment company in Harrogate, bought the building in January 2020 for £4 million.

It submitted a planning application in March this year to transform the building into offices, a gym and a rooftop restaurant.

Under the plans, the empty building, which was built in the 1890s, would be refurbished and extended by adding two floors.

The Stray Ferret approached Impala Estates to ask how the plans were progressing. However, the developer did not reply by the time of publication. It has not provided an update on its Crescent Gardens website since April 1.

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Harrogate Borough Council confirmed that its planning committee had not yet set a date to hear the plans.

The council planning portal, which has 120 documents relating to the document, indicates that the developers are currently responding to concerns from consultees, such as Yorkshire Water and North Yorkshire County Council.

How the rooftop restaurant would look. Photo: S+SA Architects.

The saga of Harrogate Borough Council’s former offices

The future of Crescent Gardens, which has been empty for four years since the council relocated to Knapping Mount in 2017, has become a long-running saga.

Harrogate Borough Council announced when it moved into its new offices that local developer Adam Thorpe would buy the site for £6.31 million.

Mr Thorpe said he would spend £75 million on a refurbishment, which would include an art gallery, underground car park, swimming pool, restaurant and luxury apartments.

Two years later he said he had agreed the sale of 10 of the 12 properties but Mr Thorpe’s company, ATP Ltd, then collapsed with debts of almost £11million, including £24,394 to the council.

The site then went back on the market and was eventually sold to Impala Estates.

It was opened by royalty in 1905 and has seen generations of spa-goers and swimmers spend countless happy hours there. But Ripon Spa Bath’s long history as a leisure venue has come to an end.

The Grade II listed building – which was the last of its kind to open in England – closed on Sunday.

Staff are being transferred to a new swimming pool set to open at Ripon Leisure Centre on 8 December.

If and for what use the baths will reopen to the public will depend on the outcome of a sale by Harrogate Borough Council, which recently announced it had found an unnamed bidder for the building.

However, the sale has not been a straightforward one so far with concerns being raised that the venue could lose its community use before Ripon City Council successfully applied for it to be nominated as an asset of community value.

This protected status means any sale has been put on hold for six months to allow time for community bids to come forward.

Councillor Andrew Williams, leader of Ripon City Council, said the authority was exploring a “number of options” for the baths which he shared his favourite memories of.

He said:

“My mum used to swim in the spa baths as a child in the 1940s and has happy memories of being able to swim all afternoon on a Saturday for 4 pence.

“She has less happy memories of jumping off the top diving board onto the head of one of her friends.

“I remember learning to swim at the spa baths in the 1970s and many local residents will I am sure have memories of the spa baths.

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“We must now ensure that happy memories can be created in a new era of swimming in Ripon at our new pool.

“Ripon City Council are continuing to explore and evaluate a number of options regarding the future use of the spa baths site and we remain committed to working to ensure that the site continues to provide facilities for local residents.

“We want to ensure that the listed front of the spa baths is returned to its former glory as part of any new use for the site.”

Listed status

Councillor Williams previously said he held positive talks with the unnamed bidder but added the city council wanted to “keep all of our options open” and had asked to be considered as a potential bidder itself.

Harrogate Borough Council has always insisted it has been open to any offers for the venue which was opened as a spa by Princess Henry of Battenberg in 1905.

It was more than 30 years later when the swimming pool was built to the rear of the building, which is known for its terracotta-clad frontage and gained listed status in 1980.

The new swimming pool and upgrades at Ripon Leisure Centre were due to be completed earlier this year but are now facing further delays after the discovery of an underground void revealed the need for further groundworks.

These works are likely to lead to a six-month closure of part of the venue, although the opening of the new swimming pool will not be affected.

Residents in South Stainley have submitted a formal complaint to Harrogate Borough Council over a decision to approve a solar farm in the village.

The proposal, submitted by Elgin Energy EsCo Limited, was approved in August and would see a farm of the equivalent size of 150 football pitches built.

The developer said in its documents that the farm could generate 50 megawatts of electricity during peak operation and potentially power 15,000 homes in Harrogate.

However, residents in the parish have complained to the council over how the application was handled at planning committee.

Following a meeting of the South Stainley with Clayton parish, Jane Pickering, who chaired the meeting, wrote to the borough council.

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She raised concern that the committee never took a site visit, held the meeting at short notice and that the views of residents were “ignored and not taken into account”.

In the letter, Ms Pickering said:

“Solar green energy schemes require a balanced planning view. Due to the sheer scale of the proposals and the landscape and visual impacts involved, time should have been given to hear both sides of the argument, and to carefully analyse the negative environmental impacts.

“The parish is not convinced that a balanced and accurate view was presented to the committee and that a decision was made with a lack of understanding of the issues and the local impact of such a huge scheme.”

South Stainley had previously submitted objections to the council over loss of green fields and agricultural land.

A Harrogate Borough Council spokesperson said:

“The planning application (19/02259/EIAMAJ) was determined in accordance with national and local planning policy and procedure.”

Second solar farm planned

The complaint from residents comes as a second solar farm is planned for South Stainley.

Infraland Ltd and Boultbee Brooks Renewable Energy Ltd have unveiled plans for a farm on 19 hectares of land between South Stainley and Wormald Green.

The proposals would see photovoltaic panels laid out in rows running east to west on the site. The plan has yet to be submitted to Harrogate Borough Council.