In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the shake-up of local leisure facilities – and ongoing concerns about safety at the new Ripon pool.

Throughout 2021, Harrogate Borough Council has spoken about its ‘multi-million pound investment’ in leisure developments across the district.

The council certainly has ambitious plans: it has built a new six-lane pool in Ripon, drawn up designs for a new leisure centre in Knaresborough and is also planning a two-storey extension to The Hydro in Harrogate.

It set up a new company, Brimhams Active, this year to run its health and wellbeing facilities.

However, the actual cost of delivering the entire package of projects remains unclear.

Ripon £4m over budget

The new Ripon facility, at Dallamires Lane, will be called the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, in honour of the local Olympic hero. It is scheduled to open next month.

A Freedom of Information request submitted to the council by Ripon resident and chartered civil engineer Stanley Mackintosh showed that it is currently more than £4 million over budget at £14,590,665.

The opening is now due to take place more than seven months later than originally planned. Ripon Spa Baths closed in November, leaving the city without a public swimming pool until the new site opens.

The council also still has to deal with ongoing ground stability concerns affecting the leisure centre adjacent to the Ripon pool.

Following the discovery of a ‘void’ near the entrance to the 26-year-old building, further investigation and remedial works will be carried out in the New Year. The centre’s ground floor will remain closed while the work takes place.

The discovery prompted two sinkhole experts to urge councillors to consider finding an alternative site for the new Ripon leisure centre and pool.

Their comments followed a report by engineering company Stantec, which revealed the site could be permanently plagued by the threat of sinkholes.

When asked about the cost of the remedial work, the council said:

“The costs for the investigation works are not as yet known. Following the investigation works, there will then be assessment of the proposed remediation strategies, together with an assessment of the estimated cost.

“The council would not be able to disclose details of costs until the agreed remedial works are contracted as we view that providing this information may prejudice future commercial negotiations with supply partners.”

The proposed new Knaresborough leisure centre.

New leisure centre in Knaresborough 

The council will consider its own planning application for a new leisure and wellness centre in Knaresborough in 2022, to replace the town’s existing leisure facility.

The proposed new centre will include a six-lane 25-metre pool, a learner pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio, cafe, electric car charging points, bicycle storage and play area.

Construction could start as early as spring next year and last for 18 months.

Under the plans, the new building would be built on the playground to the rear of the existing pool, which would remain open during the work.

However, local resident David Hull, who launched the ‘Not On Fysche Field’ campaign has criticised the plans over the loss of the existing play park. The council has said it will create a new play park on the site.

Hydro changes

The council is proposing to demolish the current ‘drum’ entrance at The Hydro and replace it with a larger structure that includes a bigger café and reception area on the ground floor and a new 400-square metre fitness suite on the first floor.

Plans also include refurbishing the changing rooms and pool hall. Five electric vehicle charging points will be added.

The Stray Ferret asked the council how much the works will cost, but did not receive a response.

Those championing the schemes have been quick to hail the benefits.

In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the resignation and subsequent fallout of former North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Philip Allott.

The spotlight shone more intensely than ever in 2021 on one of the district’s lesser known political positions.

Elections for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner are characterised by low turnout, with many voters questioning the value of the role.

The commissioner is paid £74,000 to hold the county’s chief constable and chief fire officer to account, and receives a budget of £1.1 million. But the level of scrutiny towards the role elevated dramatically this year.

It all started routinely enough when Knaresborough man Philip Allott was elected to succeed fellow Conservative Julia Mulligan in May.

Mr Allott made an energetic start, pledging action on issues such as pet theft and antisocial driving. But his downfall would be swift.

In an interview on BBC Radio York in September, he said Sarah Everard, who had been murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens, should not have “submitted” to arrest and that women “need to be streetwise” about arrest powers.

Keir Starmer calls for resignation

Hundreds of complaints were sent to the commissioner’s office, which found itself under more scrutiny than it ever had in its nine-year existence.

On a near daily basis, politicians lined up to condemn Mr Allott, with Labour leader Keir Starmer among those calling for his resignation.

Lucy Arnold, from campaign group Reclaim The Streets, said Mr Allott’s comments were “horrifically offensive”.

Read more:

• Councillors pass ‘no confidence’ vote in police commissioner Philip Allott
• Police commissioner Philip Allott resigns

Mr Allott apologised but resigned days later as the storm continued. The time span from his comments on-air to his stepping down was just 13 days.

Mr Allott acknowledged that his position was untenable because of the confidence he lost from both the public and by his fellow politicians.

Weeks later Zoe Metcalfe, a Conservative councillor on Harrogate Borough Council and of North Yorkshire County Council who lives at Aldborough, was elected as the new commissioner. Turnout was just 14%.

In this article, which is part of a series on the 15 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2021, we look at the controversial and ultimately doomed campaign to set up a Business Improvement District in Knaresborough.

The last 12 months have seen turbulent times for businesses in Knaresborough.

There was a fractious battle to set up a Knaresborough Business Improvement District and the town’s chamber of trade underwent a huge shake-up.

Plans to create a BID, similar to ones in Harrogate and Ripon, were hatched before 2021 but the matter came to a head in October when firms were balloted on whether they supported the idea.

If a majority voted in favour, all businesses would have been subject to a levy, which would be spent on schemes to increase football in the town. The BID would have generated £700,000 over five years and seen a limited company set up with 12 directors drawn from the business community to manage the funds.

But 80 out of 153 firms rejected the move and the fallout was bitter. Some opponents to the BID claimed those supporting it had not been transparent and ignored criticism. Some that supported it accused “anti-BID activists” of smearing the campaign.

In the wake of the vote, several high-ranking Knaresborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce committee members, including president, Steve Teggin, and treasurer, Bill Taylor, stepped down. Both men had been strong advocates of the BID.

Mass walk-out

Mr Teggin launched a strongly-worded attack on some of those who opposed the BID in an outgoing letter as president.

His comments did little to ease tensions, and one business owner who attended the chamber meeting that discussed his letter told us about 16 people walked out. Another said the meeting felt “very divided”.

Read more:

• In Depth: To BID or not to BID? Divided opinion in Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon
• Banking facilities set to return to Knaresborough next year

After all the fallout, the Stray Ferret asked businesses what they wanted to see going forward. The resounding response was that it was time for greater unity.

Elaine Grinter, Peter Lacey and Kelly Teggin

Elaine Grinter, from Art in the Mill, said businesses must come together to “have their voices heard”. She said this was even more paramount with the upcoming move towards devolution.

Neighbouring business owner Kelly Teggin said she was disappointed the BID wasn’t voted in but added this wouldn’t deter her and other chamber members from ensuring Knaresborough continued to thrive and bring in tourists.

Looking ahead

The chamber is currently being run by five remaining committee members. Peter Lacey, membership secretary, said the chamber wanted to re-focus and put Knaresborough’s economy at the forefront of discussions rather than focus on past disagreements.

There were signs towards the end of the year that things could be improving. Some businesses came together to form a community organisation to put up Christmas trees around the town, after the chamber stopped doing it.

At its next full meeting in January, the chamber’s vacant positions will be discussed and consideration will also be given to merging the roles of chair and president to streamline decision making.

Business owners will certainly be hoping a calmer 12 months lie ahead.

It has undoubtedly been a tough year for businesses across the Harrogate district as the effects of the pandemic have continued to be felt.

There have been a number of closures over the year. However, 2021 has also seen some businesses buck the trend, with new shops opening in the district.

Here is a look back at some of the notable business closures and launches in the last year.

Debenhams, Harrogate

For generations, the Debenhams building on Parliament Street has been one of the major retail landmarks in Harrogate.

But sadly at the start of 2021, as the country was in the grip of a third lockdown, the retail giant announced the town’s branch would not be reopening.

The site had been a retail unit on Parliament Street for over a century. Before Debenhams, it housed the Buckley’s and Busby’s stores.

The building has stood empty ever since its closure.

However, in December the Stray Ferret revealed that developers have submitted plans to demolish it and build 50 apartments on the site, along with two commercial units.

Aldi, Knaresborough

Knaresborough Aldi

A new Aldi supermarket opened its doors to customers in Knaresborough on January 28.

The 8,000 square metre site was built on Swallowtail Way, near the Manse Farm housing development on York Road, after plans were approved in May 2020.

Solita Food Hall, Harrogate

Solita Food Hall

Harrogate’s first food hall opened its doors in May with an aim to serve up a range of different cuisines under one roof.

Solita Food Hall, on Parliament Street, was located in the former Jamie’s Italian building and was set over two floors, including a rooftop terrace.

Under the Shoot the Bull brand, it housed Rupert’s Coffee House, Rotisserie & Grill, Solita Wagyu Burger, Slice Me Nicely Pizza, Cure & Pour Wines and Solita Fish Bar.

However, it wasn’t around for long, closing after just six months in November.

Tomahawk Steakhouse, which had been planning to move into the empty Bistrot Pierre restaurant on Cheltenham Parade, is now planning to move into the large building.

Cut by Farmison & Co, Ripon

Farmison & Co’s boutique butcher shop, Cut

Cut, online butcher Farmison & Co’s first physical shop, opened at the company’s Bondgate Green head office in Ripon in July.

The boutique butcher’s is aimed at showcasing “the crown jewels” of Yorkshire heritage breed meat and allows customers to select from the online range and collect within an hour of placing an order.

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Read more:

• Harrogate’s Valley Gardens to get monthly artisan markets
• Royal Baths Chinese restaurant reveals plans to re-open

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Fi:k, Harrogate and Knaresborough

Vicky Somerville and Luke Morland of Fi:k outside the new café in Harrogate

A Swedish-inspired coffee shop opened its doors in Harrogate in August with ambitious £780,000 plans to roll out the concept across Yorkshire.

Fi:k has renovated 1 Montpellier Gardens, which used to be the home of furniture business Covet.

In December it opened a café on Knaresborough Market Place.

Hotel Chocolat

Queues at the launch of the new Hotel Chocolat store

Queues formed on James Street for the opening of the new, relocated Hotel Chocolat store. Around 30 people waited for the store to open on October 22, with staff serving hot chocolate to them whilst they waited.

The new store is almost opposite the old one, but is larger with a café that can seat 30 people at the back of the shop. The chocolate chain has seen rapid growth in recent years and the new store has had up to 15 staff in the run up to Christmas — double the number of the previous store.

Crimple, Harrogate

Crimple Food Hall

Harrogate’s huge new £6m food hall in Pannal, which overlooks the Crimple Valley, opened its doors in November.

The 48,000 sq ft building, which is simply called Crimple, includes a butchery counter, an in-house bakery and patisserie, a floristry and a 160-seat restaurant.

Crimple has been owned by Graham Watson since 2013. With a personal investment of £4m for the construction, plus £2m for the fit-out, the business-owner created the town’s latest foodie destination in a bid to showcase all the amazing produce the district has to offer.

Previous visitors to Crimple Valley will remember the former antiques centre at the site. This has been completely knocked down and the food hall and restaurant has been built in its place. The garden centre remains and the existing restaurant and terrace has become an events space.

Fattorini, Harrogate

Harrogate’s oldest independent shop, A. Fattorini the Jeweller announced it will close after 190 years of trading

Thought to be the oldest independent jeweller in Harrogate, A. Fattorini, has been located on Parliament Street since 1884.

The announced closure of the Harrogate institution was marked by a closing down sale, which saw people queuing down the street.

It is set to close on January 8, 2022.

63rd+1st, Harrogate

The Manhattan-style cocktail bar at 63rd+1st

Harrogate’s answer to a Manhattan cocktail bar opened its doors in November, with the launch of 63rd+1st.

Decked out in trendy dark blue and gold, and featuring lots of greenery, the restaurant, lounge and bar on Albert Street is aimed at customers who might just want a nibble and a drink after work or a meal out with friends.

The venue was developed by Hostmore PLC, which also includes TGI Fridays as part of its portfolio.

Harrogate’s branch was the third to open in the UK, behind Surrey in May and Glasgow in September.

53 Bo Grove, Harrogate

Kyrensa Bentley when she opened a pancake shack (left) with a general view of 53 Bo Grove

Bohemian Harrogate cafe, antiques and garden centre 53 Bo Grove, on Grove Road, just off Kings Road, closed in December, after more than two years of business.

The business became a vital hub for residents during the early coronavirus lockdowns by staying open at a time when many supermarkets were struggling for stock.

Owner Kyrensa Bentley attempted to improve business by opening a pancake shack and a farm shop on site.

Ms Bentley, who opened the business in September 2019, told the Stray Ferret she made the decision to close after struggling on a number of fronts, including the difficult location and the impact of the pandemic.

She will continue to operate Bo Grove at Oxford Street, which opened in November 2020.

Free public access WiFi has been installed in Knaresborough in an effort to increase footfall as more people return to working from home.

Knaresborough is the latest market town to have the WiFi installed as part of a project between North Yorkshrie County Council, Harrogate Borough Council and NYnet.

The scheme is delivering free internet access to 16 market towns across the county. It has already been rolled-out in Ripon with Harrogate soon to follow.

Harrogate Borough Council has put £300,000 to improving internet coverage in the hope of supporting recovery adn growth within district towns.

With more people encouraged to work from home, the organisations involved have said it is important for towns to find new ways to encourage visitors.

Cllr Graham Swift, deputy leader and cabinet member for resources, enterprise and economic development at the borough council, said:

“Providing free Wi-Fi in public spaces supports our economic growth strategy which aims to make the Harrogate district the best place to live, work and visit.

The scheme also aims to offer people with limited or no broadband the opportunity to access vital online services and take part in the growing digital economy.

It has been funded by a £3.6m investment from the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership as part of its allocation from the government’s Getting Building Fund.

Read more:

• Banking facilities set to return to Knaresborough next year
• Knaresborough Civic Society objects to plans for leisure centre

Cllr Don Mackenzie, executive member for access at the county council, said:

“As the government has imposed new working from home guidance it’s more important than ever to encourage people to continue visiting town centres and supporting local businesses.

“We have already seen many towns benefit from the scheme in 2021 which represents the latest investment to improve North Yorkshire’s digital infrastructure.”

Major concerns about the future of Scriven Park Pre-School have been raised after it continues to struggle to find additional finances to stay open.

The Knaresborough pre-school, next to Meadowside Academy, currently has 16 children but says it needs more children and staff to keep running.

The pre-school runs as a charity with a committee, in the past two weeks it has elected a new committee in the hopes of making it financially stable again.

The new co-chair, Hayley Fiorentino, said the pre-school can reopen in January but the next three to six months were critical.

As a charity-run facility the centre relies on fundraising and funding from the county council. It gets £4.05 per hour for each child that is there on council funding.

This money goes towards the wages of four staff and bills but Ms Fiorentino said that the committee is desperate for more fundraising. She said:

“My son loves going there and when I found out how much trouble it was in I had to step up. As a student nurse, I can’t afford to send my son anywhere else so I had to do my bit to keep it open.

“We need to claw it back. It used to hold events like summer fayres and bingo nights but covid has hit us hard.”

Ms Fiorentino said since a social media plea for help last week, the charity had been approached by other charities and nurseries locally offering help to run the centre efficiently.

It was also due to meet with a local town councillor in the coming week to discuss potential funding opportunities.

She added:

“We need to everything we can so if it doesn’t work we can say we did all we could.”

Read more:

• Ashville College pupils plant hundreds of trees to improve campus biodiversity
• Fun activities at Christmas for children in North Yorkshire revealed

New centre manager, Leanne Holdworth, took on the position in October and said it has been a struggle but she hopes there is now light at the end of the tunnel.

She said her and the other staff were determined to remain open for the children and hope the new committee can look into funding available to them:

“We’re struggling massively, we get funding from the county council but this instantly goes on wages and bills. It’s not enough. Now we are at a point where we can’t even be sure of the future.

“Lots of parents have chosen to keep their kids at home during covid which has impacted us massively. Now I’m left with a ship that’s about the sink.”

The pre-school is set to welcome three new-starters in January and hopes if it can hire more staff it can take on more.

It also thanked local residents who had dropped off donations of toys and books allowing them to save money. Any further donations can be given here.

Knaresborough-based pest control technology company Pelsis Group has bought Spanish firm Sanitrade and distributor Vesta Distribuciones for an undisclosed sum.

Sanitrade specialises in protecting grain stores and also owns Vesta Distribuciones, which is focused on the agricultural sector.

The deal is the first acquisition made by Pelsis after it was sold in September to Pamplona Capital Management.

Pelsis, which is based at Grimbald Crag Close, now has a turnover of around €165 million and employs over 600 people across 15 sites throughout Europe and the US.

The company’s chief executive, Andrew Milner, said:

“We are very pleased to be expanding our southern Europe operations by bringing Sanitrade and Vesta Distribuciones into the Pelsis Group.

“Inés and Sara have done a fantastic job in building the business into what it is today, and we see plenty of opportunity for further collaboration, investment and growth.

“Our objective is to make Edialux Professional Europe’s number one pest management distributor and this deal is a key strategic element of achieving that goal.”

Read more:

• How Stean Gorge set to build luxury cabins for groups and families
• Station Gateway hit with second petition calling for project to be halted

Northern has introduced an additional service on the Leeds, Harrogate and York line, meaning there will now be two trains every hour.

The train provider held a launch event yesterday at Knaresborough station, which is one of the stations to benefit from the extra capacity.

Representatives from North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones attended.

Network Rail carried out a £9.8 million upgrade of the signalling system and track layout to facilitate extra trains this time last year.

York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership secured £9.6m for the work from the government’s Local Growth Fund.

Read more:

• Four Harrogate district parish councils join campaign for 20mph limit
• ‘Severe weather’ delays Otley Road cycle path in Harrogate
• Newts delay junction 47 A1(M) upgrade near Knaresborough

Mr Jones said:

“This investment in local rail is much-needed and welcomed.

“The signalling upgrade and the improvement project will see more and faster services operating between Leeds, Harrogate and York.

“This is one more in a long list of improvements in our rail services which have seen more direct services to and from London and improved rolling stock on the local line.

“It is fantastic news that we have been able to double the capacity on this section of the line.”

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, executive member for access, said:

“This timetable improvement, which owes much to the county council’s £10m track and signals upgrade scheme of last year, complements our transport priority of improving east-west connectivity across the county and region.

“The enhanced timetable is another step towards encouraging people to use public transport rather than their cars. It also supports the visitor economy and anticipates growth in residential and commercial development along the A59 corridor.”

Pictured are: (left to right) Andrew Jones MP, David Dickson (chair of York and North Yorkshire LEP), Cllr Don Mackenzie (North Yorkshire County Council), Tony Baxter (Northern regional director) and Wallace Sampson (Chief Exec at Harrogate Borough Council).

Vaccination centres in the Harrogate district could open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day as part of the government drive to offer all adults a booster by the end of the year.

Firefighters are delivering vaccines in another bid to speed up the programme, public health officials in North Yorkshire revealed at a press conference today.

The officials said things were changing “very rapidly” across the country and although there were still no confirmed cases of the Omicron variant in the Harrogate district, they added it was likely to be present and spreading fast.

Read more:

• Vaccination centre to open at Harrogate hospital
• First suspected omicron cases found in Harrogate district
• Vaccine updates: Ripon racecourse opens for walk-ins

Amanda Bloor, the accountable officer for the North Yorkshire Clinical Commissioning Group, told the press conference:

“The NHS is already experiencing high demand from patients. I would continue to ask people to be patient and respectful.

“We are expecting that a number of staff leave will be cancelled to mitigate the continued pressures. They are going to be working longer hours to get everyone through.

“In terms of the booster programme. This is the most complex phase yet, we are now moving with pace. We are looking at how best to increase capacity.

“All sites are increasing capacity on a daily basis. You can now access a vaccine very early in the morning to very late at night.

“We anticipate sites being open across the county every day except Christmas Day and Boxing Day but if we need to look at demand on those days we will do so.”

We have compiled a list of the sites in the Harrogate district where you can get a vaccine. You can see it by clicking or tapping here.

Harrogate District Hospital is set to open a vaccine centre tomorrow, which will only have capacity for booked appointments.

It is unclear how many vaccinations the hospital will administer a day or what times it will be open.

Harrogate Borough Council is planning to host a festival across the district in the new year to raise awareness of climate change.

The project, which has a working title of Winter Festival, looks set to take place in February 2022, according to a contract advertised by the authority.

The event is expected to involve street performance and art installations.

Stockport-based Maynineteen Ltd has been given the £50,000 contract to lead the project.

The events company has been tasked with coming up with ideas that “generate footfall and interest” in Harrogate, Ripon, Masham, Knaresborough, Pateley Bridge and Boroughbridge.

Read more:

• Harrogate business groups criticise ‘confusing’ Plan B ahead of Commons vote
• Final full Harrogate council meeting of 2021 cancelled over covid concerns

A spokesperson for the council said more details on the event would be revealed in the new year.

The spokesperson added:

“The Winter Festival is a working title for a project which is likely to change. 

“The project aims to raise awareness of the global climate change and environmental issues we are all facing. It will involve art installations and street performances, for example, and we’ll have some exciting news in the new year.”

Council officials said the contract has been paid for through the government’s Welcome Back Fund, which was designed to “promote a safe environment for local trade and tourism, particularly in high streets as their economies reopen”.

In April, the government granted the borough council £144,714 as part of the fund.