The new Knaresborough leisure centre is set to be built on the same site as the current one, it was revealed today.

Harrogate Borough Council said it had chosen the existing site on King James Road as its preferred option.

It was one of four options, along with Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough House and Hay-a-Park under consideration.

The council faced a backlash for considering Grade II* listed Conyngham Hall, with Knaresborough Civic Society among those opposing the move.

A Hands Off Conyngham Hall Grounds petition by the Harrogate and Knaresborough Liberal Democrats attracted more than 1,600 signatures.

But that option now seems to be off the table.

Conyngham Hall appears to be off the table.

Ian Clark, Knaresborough Civic Society’s secretary, welcomed the decision. He told the Stray Ferret:

“This is good news for many people in Knaresborough. Conyngham Hall was not a suitable option for a leisure centre.

“It would not have done the historic building any favours if they built a new site right next to it and replaced park land with a car park.”

The decision is likely to be ratified at a council cabinet meeting on December 2. Residents will then be consulted on whether they agree.

Local property consultants Carter Jonas looked at the leisure centre options.

The council said the decision was based on factors including location, physical appearance, access as well as planning and legal issues.

A new £10 million leisure centre is also being built in Ripon. It will have a six-lane, 25-metre pool, an extended gym and sauna suite, three activity studios and meeting rooms.

Leisure services plans for the district take a step forward

Harrogate Borough Council also announce today is was set to appoint Alliance Leisure Services as its development manager for leisure.

The company, based in Somerset, will be responsible for the delivery of investment in leisure sites in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Read more:

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• New consultation planned over future of leisure services
• Harrogate council approves leisure services overhaul

Councillor Stanley Lumley, the council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, will be asked to approve the decision tomorrow.

Cllr Lumley said:

“There are some exciting times ahead that shows our investment in the future of the sport and leisure facilities in the Harrogate district.”

A second consultation will be held over the future of leisure services in the Harrogate district.

After 417 people responded to a consultation which closed earlier this month, Harrogate Borough Council said it will go back to the public – but it has not confirmed when, or what it will ask.

Campaigners in Knaresborough are calling for the council to rule out using the Conyngham Hall site for a new leisure centre,. However, HBC said responses to the survey are being assessed and no decision has been made over where it will be built, with Knaresborough House, Hay-a-Park and the existing swimming pool site all on the shortlist.

The council has confirmed residents will get another chance to express their opinions in a follow-up consultation in the coming weeks. A spokesman said:

“The results will be evaluated and used to inform the various options and subsequent recommendations for the multi-million pound investment in sport and leisure across the Harrogate district.”

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• Civic society label proposed decision to build at Conyngham Hall ‘cultural vandalism’
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The suggestion of the Grade II* listed Conyngham Hall as a potential spot for the new leisure centre has been met with criticism. The hall itself is used as office space and leased by the council to businesses, while the grounds are popular for leisure activities.

Campaigns to protect the green space have been set up by local residents on Facebook, and by the Harrogate & Knaresborough Liberal Democrats and Knaresborough Civic Society.

Civic society chairman James Monaghan said:

“Knaresborough Civic Society believes that building a new leisure centre and car park on green space at the grade 2 star listed Conyngham Hall would be completely unacceptable.

Our preference is to see the Conyngham Hall site removed from consideration full stop.”

The current site being used for the swimming pool is favoured by local groups over the proposal to build at Conyngham Hall

Mr Monaghan said he was pleased that the council had agreed to consult again and was hopeful that it would give local people a say on the location of the new leisure centre. The civic society’s preference is for the existing site to be used.

He added:

“The proposals for a leisure centre at either Conyngham Hall or on the green space at Knaresborough House would have a terrible impact on the historical character of Knaresborough.”

Today is the final opportunity to take part in a survey on plans for a multi-million pound leisure services investment.

Harrogate Borough Council is giving residents the opportunity to give their views on the £26.5 million plans, which include a complete refurbishment of the Hydro in Harrogate and a new pool and leisure centre for Knaresborough.

Leisure services in the district will soon be under the control of an authority-owned company, Brimhams Active. Senior councillors previously said the new company and investment plans go “hand in hand”.

Read more:

• Backing given for a new company to take authority of the district’s leisure services
• Harrogate council will need to borrow £26 million for leisure improvements 

The Stray Ferret asked Harrogate Borough Council about the next steps for the plans following the consultation and for an update on the four proposed sites for Knaresborough’s new leisure centre.

A council spokesman said:

“Following the end of the leisure centre consultation, the results will be evaluated and used to inform the various options and subsequent recommendations for the multi-million pound investment in sport and leisure across the Harrogate district.”

The council is yet to narrow down the four proposed areas for Knaresborough’s new pool and leisure centre.

The plans for Knaresborough’s new leisure centre are yet to be confirmed. Four areas of the town are currently being investigated – including Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough House and an unspecified site at Hay-a-Park, as well as the existing location of Knaresborough Pool.

Development plans for Conyngham Hall have created opposition, with hundreds of people joining a Facebook page against the plans.

A community group has vowed to step up and fight if to protect Starbeck Baths from any planned closure over the coming years.

It follows news this week that the council is preparing to invest in a new leisure centre in Knaresborough and improving the Hydro in Harrogate.

As part of a report to be considered by Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet next week, officers said that with new facilities in nearby towns, “the future of Starbeck Baths would need to be considered”. Reacting to the news, Starbeck Residents’ Association Chairman Geoff Foxhall said:

“It would be a tragedy if the council decided to let go of it, especially as they have invested a quite considerable amount in it in the last few years.

“About ten years ago (when it was under threat), we had resident meetings and committees were formed. It was quite a struggle but we saved it then. Hopefully, we could mobilise the same support again if needed.”

Although the report for HBC’s cabinet looked at the money that could be saved by closing Starbeck Baths, the cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport told The Stray Ferret that closure was not an immediate plan. Cllr Stan Lumley said:

“We can’t commit to it forever and ever, but in the short term there are no intentions of closing Starbeck at all. Once we’ve got everything up and running, a much bigger Hydro and a new facility in Knaresborough – clearly that’s many years down the line – we would have to look at that and how we operate in the future.”

‘Best of both worlds’

The report to the cabinet forms part of a recommendation to transfer the running of leisure centres, along with community centres and the council’s day nursery, to a local authority controlled company (LACC). HBC says it can make significant savings on running costs by doing so, with additional money to be saved and made through investments in the facilities.

Cllr Lumley added:

“We thought it was the best way forward because it keeps us with control but it frees us up and allows us to do things more efficiently and gives us more flexibility with management.

“This is like a partial privatisation. It allows us to benefit from some things that a private company would, but by keeping control of the business. It’s the best of both worlds.”

Read:

• Leisure centres, community centres and day nursery could be run by a local authority controlled company
• Unions say concerns remain after meeting with council on LACC plans
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Meanwhile, as well as a major refurbishment of the Hydro, HBC is set to look at creating a new gym and swimming pool for Knaresborough. Although it is considering rebuilding on the existing site, the report to the cabinet indicates that a new facility could be built at Conyngham Hall, after considering a site at Hay-a-Park and the grounds of Knaresborough House.

Building at Conyngham Hall would allow both Knaresborough sites to remain open while the Hydro was refurbished, before the old pool on King James’s Road was closed. However, the report acknowledges that rebuilding on the same site would be less expensive than relocating, which it estimates would cost in the region of £13million.

The existing Knaresborough Pool could be replaced with a new leisure centre, either on the same site or somewhere else

Knaresborough Civic Society said it will be looking at any plans for relocation with interest. Secretary Ian Wright said:

“We would certainly be interested in where they are planning to put it. Conyngham Hall is one of our prominent public buildings – Harrogate were refurbishing some of that. We will be keeping a watching brief on it.

“The swimming pool isn’t a historic building. We wouldn’t be too concerned about doing something else with that site. Any concerns would be relating to the Conyngham Hall site and where it would go on there.”

Whichever location is chosen, work on Knaresborough’s new leisure centre would not begin until the completion of the new Ripon pool, replacing the old spa baths. After a short delay because of the coronavirus lockdown, Cllr Lumley said he expects it to open autumn 2021.

Harrogate’s oldest swimming pool could be closed as the council looks to cut costs in a major overhaul of its leisure services.

In a report set to be considered by Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet next week, officers say the future of Starbeck Baths – built in 1870 – would need to be considered following the redevelopment of its other pools and gyms.

The council is proposing to build a new Knaresborough leisure centre at Conyngham Hall, replacing the existing pool on King James Road. It will also refurbish the Hydro in Harrogate, with more gym space added, and complete the rebuilding of Ripon Spa Baths, with an opening date currently set for September 2021.

The plans form part of a proposal to transfer the running of leisure services to a local authority controlled company (LACC), which HBC believes would save £284,000 of taxpayers’ money. With investment in new and existing pools, and the closure of Starbeck Baths, the council projects savings to be more than double that figure.

In a report to be seen by HBC’s cabinet next week, head of culture, tourism and sport Michael Constantine says:

“With the closure of Ripon Spa Baths and Knaresborough Swimming Pool and new facilities at Knaresborough, Ripon and Harrogate the future of Starbeck Baths would need to be considered. Analysis indicates that without Starbeck continuing to be operational the cost to the council would be £2.790 million, a saving of £0.191m pa.

“Delivering the service by a LACC, following investment in new facilities, will result in an estimated saving of £585k per annum compared to the delivery in-house, with Starbeck no longer operational.

“This demonstrates that under the operational management of the LACC, the schemes have the potential to be entirely self-funded through prudential borrowing depending on future decision regarding Starbeck Baths’ continued operation.”

Meanwhile, Conyngham Hall has been identified as the best site for Knaresborough’s new leisure centre, after considering sites at Hay-a-Park and Knaresborough House, as well as building a new facility on the existing site.

The report recommends leaving the existing pool open until after the new one is built. Both would remain operational while the Hydro was refurbished, giving capacity for residents to use them and somewhere for staff to work, before the older pool was closed.

With the new Ripon pool set to open next September, building work on the new Knaresborough Pool could begin in summer 2022 and be completed in December 2023. At that point, the Hydro would be closed for work to begin, and would reopen in March 2025. The old Knaresborough pool would then be closed, and plans for the site have not been announced.

Discussions have been held between the council and trade unions over plans to transfer sport and leisure services to a private company.

Unison has this morning confirmed that it has met with Harrogate Borough Council representatives to discuss the proposal to form a Local Authority Controlled Company (LACC) to run its leisure facilities.

Unison branch secretary David Houlgate said:

“We are thankful that the Council is now talking to us and the meeting yesterday was helpful.  We are also pleased that the Council has let us have some written detail too.  We need to take a good look at that but already we can make the following observations:

“Clearly the council has ambitious plans for new and upgraded facilities and we cautiously welcome this but it has to be remembered that sport and leisure is a discretionary service so we would not wish to see high spending in this area impact on other, more critical, services elsewhere which could put jobs at risk.”

As well as the council’s six six leisure centres and its Active Health service, the plans could include transferring Little Explorers Day Nursery, the Turkish Baths, and community centres in Jennyfield, Fairfax and Knaresborough to the LACC.

According to a report set to be considered by HBC’s cabinet next week, transferring services stands to save £222,000 in business rates and £76,000 in VAT, with improved financial performance of £130,000 per year. There would be additional costs of £144,000, leaving savings of £284,000 per year, in the council’s figures.

The council has projected an increase in revenue of around £500,000 – equivalent to 10 percent of its current income – as a result of being run by a single-focus company.

The report also states that the council commissioned four studies into its leisure services in and alternative ways of delivering them, in 2018. It adds:

“SLL’s final report was presented to Cabinet on December 16, 2019 and as a result cabinet agreed in principle to progress the creation of a Company to run its sport and leisure facilities and services.”

Discussions between HBC and unions this week follow a public disagreement between them. Unison said on Monday it was disappointed that the council had failed to make any contact with its members – a claim which HBC branded “ridiculous”.

More on this story:

• Unions speak out about the lack of communication on plans which have “no overwhelming public support”
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The council consulted with residents last month about the proposals. In the report to cabinet, the results show 46 percent of the 433 people who responded either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the plans. Twenty-seven percent agreed or strongly agreed, while 27 percent neither agreed nor disagreed.

“We have seen the council report and it would appear that this decision was actually taken last year, so we do wonder what the point of the recent resident’s survey was.  Having now seen the survey responses it does seem to confirm our view that there is not much support from the 433 residents who responded, for sport and leisure to be run by a LACC.”

The union has welcomed measures to protect employees, including keeping them in the local government pension scheme. However, it raised concerns about changing terms and conditions after the LACC is formed, and the possibility that an outside provider will be found to run services in future.

The proposals to create the LACC will be put before the council’s cabinet when it meets online next Wednesday, June 17.