Will Ripon’s new pool open this month?An opening date for Ripon’s new swimming pool has still to be announced.
Harrogate Borough Council said on November 26 that the planned opening on December 8 had been postponed to an unspecified date in January. The delay was attributed to a fault in the lining of the pool.
In mid-December, when the council announced the multi-million pound leisure protect would be named the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, in honour of the Olympic diving hero and former Ripon Grammar School student, the council said the pool would be opening “early in the new year”.
But with less than two weeks of January remaining, no opening date has been revealed.
A council spokesman told the Stray Ferret it “should have further news in the coming days”.
Ripon has been without a public swimming pool for more than two months since Spa Baths closed on November 7.
The new pool and leisure centre has been beset by historic issues of ground stability that affect the Camp Close site at Dallamires Lane. It was originally due to be completed in May 2021 and cost £10.2 million, but it is currently eight months overdue and £4 million over budget.
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Conservative councillor Stanley Lumley, the council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, which operates the district’s leisure centres, said at the time the fault was found:
“New swimming pools go through a significant amount of testing to ensure they are safe to use for years to come and provide the best experience for the customer.
“During the testing period of the new six-lane 25metre swimming pool at the leisure centre on Dallamires Road in Ripon, an issue was identified with the lining of the pool.
“We understand this is disappointing but would like to reassure you we are working as quickly and as thoroughly as possible to open the pool as soon as we can.”
Investigation won’t cause further delay of Ripon leisure developmentHarrogate Borough Council (HBC) has confirmed that Ripon’s new swimming pool and refurbished leisure centre will open in November.
Last month, it was revealed that a new sinkhole had been discovered in 2020 near the leisure centre entrance.
This follows an incident in February 2018, when a sinkhole opened up on the centre’s car park.
However, the council says that investigation of the second void, and any remedial work required, will not cause further delay to the £10 million-plus project.
Following a report from consultant engineers, councillors approved additional spending of £110,000 to pay for the investigation.
The current insured value of the leisure centre is £3,796,135 plus 10% contents, which the authority would lose, should any damage be caused as a result of the work on site.
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Once complete, the facility will include a six-lane, 25-metre pool, modern changing rooms, a sauna, an extended gym and an outside play area.
A spokesperson for HBC said:
“Thanks to this investment at Ripon Leisure Centre, the existing facility at Ripon Spa Baths will no longer be required.
“The sale, and redevelopment of the spa baths, will give this local listed building a new lease of life (subject to planning approval), retain key features and remain as a city landmark.”
The new pool offers a 70 per cent increase in water space compared with Ripon Spa Baths.
The improved leisure centre will also provide a new main entrance and lobby area, two new activity studios, a spin studio and meeting facilities.
Cllr Stanley Lumley, HBC’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, added:
“The addition of the new swimming pool, and the improvements to the leisure centre, will be a major development for Ripon and the surrounding area.
“They’ll provide much needed modern facilities that will encourage a healthier and more active lifestyle for our residents and something they can be proud of.”
While construction activity continues, HBC has confirmed that Ripon’s Spa Baths, which is still up for sale, will remain open.
The spa building, with its pool that was added in the 1930s, reopened on May 14 after closing in March 2020 due to covid.
For sale signs remain in place outside the building.
‘Cycling with children is impossible unless you break the rules’Campaigners in Ripon are calling for safety improvements for cyclists and scooter riders on their school commute.
Pupils at Sharow Church of England Primary School received an incentive to take two wheels or scoot to school when a shelter providing safe storage for bikes and scooters was installed during the Easter holidays.
The shelter was made possible by a £900 grant from the locality budget of Mike Chambers, who represents Ripon Spa on North Yorkshire County Council.
The Conservative councillor cycled to the school for the opening of the shelter, as did Bethan Dailey, her daughters Evelyn (8) Amelie (5) and cycling campaigners Dr Chris Bennett and Ian Kendall.
Cllr Chambers told the Stray Ferret there was a need to create better cycleways and paths in Ripon to encourage people to leave their cars at home.
He said:
“We have got to plan for sustainable transport and I will continue to lobby for safe routes to be created for cyclists and pedestrians.”
Ms Dailey, who started cycling to school with her daughters during the covid lockdown, said:
“The traditional school run is a classic example of a short journey where cycling or walking instead of jumping in the car can reduce traffic levels.
“It also lowers carbon emissions and increases fitness.
“An easy solution in theory but in practice, there are many barriers to cycling and walking around Ripon safely.”
Jacqui Palmer, executive head teacher of Sharow C of E Primary School, is encouraging more children and parents to cycle and scoot to school (Photograph courtesy of Ian Kendall).
The one mile route from the family home in Ripon to Sharow proved so hazardous it prompted Ms Dailey to write an article for the Harrogate District Cycle Action group website.
In it, she pointed out:
“Ripon has practically no cycling infrastructure… there are virtually no cycle lanes at all, not on-road and not off-road. If you want to stay safe cycling with kids in Ripon you are forced to use pavements, public footpaths, private lanes and cut-throughs, river walkways and canal tow paths.
“Cycling shorter distances with children is virtually impossible unless you break all the rules and cycle illegally on the pavement… even then, there are many hazards along the route”
Cllr Chambers, responded to the article and arranged for both the pedestrian and cycle track under the A61 bypass and the pavement and road into Sharow to be swept.
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Jacqui Palmer, headteacher of Sharow CE Primary and Skelton Newby Hall CE Primary, said:
“We hope to see increasing numbers of children cycling and scooting to school. We are taking part in the Sustrans initiative Big Pedal 2021 from next week, and are planning to hold Bikeability courses this term.”
£34,000: the cost of heating closed Ripon poolHarrogate Borough Council has spent £34,000 heating Ripon Spa Baths since it closed in March last year, the Stray Ferret has discovered.
The pool is one of three in the Harrogate district, along with Knaresborough and Starbeck, to remain closed after leisure facilities were allowed to reopen on Monday.
The council has now disclosed the cost of keeping the water warm and the plant in operational condition during the last year of closure to Andrew Williams, the leader of Ripon City Council.
Councillor Williams said it would be “council taxpayer money down the drain if the baths are not reopened” immediately.
Ripon’s new pool was due to open this summer but construction will not be complete until November.
He said:
“Construction of Ripon’s new pool will not be complete until November.
“The swimming pools at Knaresborough and Starbeck are closed and travel to Harrogate Hydro and the Nidderdale pool in Pateley Bridge is not advisable, as the government still urges us to stay as local as possible.
“Taking all of these factors into consideration, I find it hard to believe that Harrogate Borough Council cannot find the personnel needed for Spa Baths to reopen straight away.
“They must tell the citizens of Ripon – particularly young people who have had months of no leisure activity during lockdown – exactly when they can go swimming again.”
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The Grade II Listed Spa Baths was deemed ‘surplus to requirements’ in February and put on the market.
Cllr Williams, the Mayor of Ripon Councillor Eamon Parkin and representatives of Ripon Civic Society, found the pool in operational condition last month when they were shown around the building by selling agents Sanderson Weatherall.
This prompted the senior councillors, along with other city councillors, to call for reopening from 12 April, when lockdown restrictions were lifted.
But that date has passed and the pool remains closed.
A spokeswoman for Harrogate Borough Council said reopening Spa Baths when lockdown restrictions changed on Monday was not possible because sport and leisure staff have been redeployed to other services.
The spokeswoman added:
“We have kept the pool at Ripon Spa Baths heated because we have been using it for staff training while the building was closed to the public.
“All systems which keep the pool functioning have been set to the lowest level.
“It is far more cost-effective to maintain a minimum heat in the water than allow it to cool completely and then have to reheat it to the required temperature.
“Pool water which retains some heat and continues to circulate through the filtration system, albeit slowly, will also prevent damage to the infrastructure and algae build-up.
“Heating also protects the fabric of the building from condensation and decay.
“We look forward to welcoming back swimmers as soon as we can.”
