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Just three years since its last overhaul, Harrogate’s leisure services look set for another restructure.

With the formation of Brimhams Active, a council-owned company, Harrogate Borough Council officials promised a new dawn for facilities in the district.

This came in the shape of multi-million pound investments in Harrogate and Knaresborough leisure centres – the latter of which is set to open on December 11.

Now, three years on, North Yorkshire Council looks set to carry out another overhaul of its leisure operation.

Bringing services in-house

The council’s plan, which is detailed in a report due before councillors on Monday, would see the entirety of its operators brought in-house over the next four years.

Currently, the county is served by five separate leisure providers – including Brimhams Active in Harrogate – which cover 19 leisure centres, 16 pools and three well-being hubs.

A private company called Everyone Active provides services in Ryedale and Scarborough; Richmond Leisure Trust runs facilities in Richmond and a charity called Inspiring Healthy Lifestyles oversees sites in Selby. Services in Craven and Hambleton are ran in-house.

The Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre.

The Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre.

The council has argued in its report that the current management of leisure is “complex” and bringing it in-house would represent a “bespoke model for the unique circumstances of North Yorkshire”.

It has also promised a “renewed focus on physical and mental health and wider well being”.

The overhaul is expected to cost in the region of £135,000.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for culture, arts and housing at North Yorkshire Council, said:

“The strategic leisure review provides us with an exciting opportunity to transform the delivery of our leisure service and improve outcomes for communities across North Yorkshire.

“What we are recommending puts us at the forefront of a national movement to transform services with a renewed focus on physical and mental health and wider well-being.”

Brimhams’ facilities ‘envy of North Yorkshire’

It comes at a time when North Yorkshire Council is shaping its services, such as licensing, planning and housing, following devolution.

However, it also represents yet another service overhaul for the Harrogate district’s leisure services.

In 2020, the Stray Ferret reported extensively on the borough council’s review of its leisure facilities which culminated in the creation of Brimhams Active in August 2021 to run centres across the district.

The company, which is now owned by North Yorkshire Council, recently embarked on £46 million worth of projects at Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre.

Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active.

Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active.

In an interview with the Stray Ferret in September, Mark Tweedie, managing director at the company, described the facilities as the “envy of North Yorkshire”.

Centres in Ripon, Harrogate and Knaresborough also feature Brimhams branding, which could be removed not long after they were put up.

In its report, the council acknowledges that the company’s model is “particularly advanced” and could be scaled up.

However, despite the advanced nature of Brimhams’ operation, the council still plans to streamline its operators and bring them in-house.

The report adds:

“Whilst there is a desire to streamline the current position into a single operating model, this is no reflection on the current provision or providers who deliver much valued and high quality services across the county.”

‘Devil in the detail’

Brimhams currently employs 160 staff and has a turnover of £8.4 million.

At the time of its creation, unions raised concern over the transfer of staff to Brimhams and sought reassures over terms and conditions for leisure workers.

In the end, staff transferred to the company under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, better known as TUPE, on August 1, 2021.

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Speaking on the fresh proposals, Dave Houlgate, secretary of the Unison Harrogate Local Government branch, said he supports facilities being brought in-house.

However, he added that the “devil will be in the detail”.

He said:

“The key for us is the delivery of quality public services but also improving the terms and conditions and pay for our members who are currently enduring a cost of living crisis.  

“If this proposal delivers on these two things and avoids any compulsory redundancies then we are likely to give it our full support.”

The proposal appears to represent the council embarking on a transformation of its services in its image for North Yorkshire following devolution.

However, it also raised questions over how the Harrogate district’s leisure facilities will look and function in the future.

North Yorkshire Council’s transition overview and scrutiny committee will consider the leisure review proposal at a meeting on Monday (December 4).

Council plans to bring North Yorkshire leisure services in-house

North Yorkshire Council looks set to bring the entirety of its leisure services in-house.

The move would consolidate its operators, including Brimhams Active, into an in-house service over the next four years.

North Yorkshire Council’s transition overview and scrutiny committee will consider the proposal at a meeting on Monday (December 4).

Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for culture, arts and housing at North Yorkshire Council, said:

“The strategic leisure review provides us with an exciting opportunity to transform the delivery of our leisure service and improve outcomes for communities across North Yorkshire.

“What we are recommending puts us at the forefront of a national movement to transform services with a renewed focus on physical and mental health and wider well-being.”

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The recommendations follow the first phase of the council’s strategic leisure review, which includedinput from communities and sports groups, as well as organisations such as Sport England and North Yorkshire Sport.

A cross-party working group of councillors visited sites throughout North Yorkshire and their feedback also informed the proposals.

The council said the proposals will build on current best practice, expertise and experience and aim to transform leisure centres into sport and active well-being hubs.

Meanwhile, a report to the committee also recommends carrying out a leisure investment strategy, which will include a review of each leisure site.

The report added:

“This will build on the work already undertaken from the asset condition surveys and will consider further the condition of each site, future role and sustainability as a part of the new delivery model.”

The move comes as Brimhams Active, which was set up by the former Harrogate Borough Council in 2021, recently completed multi-million pound refurbishments at the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre.

The company was set up following a strategic review carried out by the borough council, which recommended a local authority controlled company called Brimhams Active be formed to run leisure services in the district.

Its sites include Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre, Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre, the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon and Nidderdale Leisure and Wellness Centre in Pateley Bridge.

Harrogate Hydro delay will see no change in £13.5m project budget, says council

A delay in opening Harrogate Hydro due to “unplanned work” will see no change in its budget, council officials have said.

The Hydro is undergoing a £13.5 million refurbishment and will welcome customers back under the new name Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre.

However, North Yorkshire Council confirmed last week that the centre will not re-open until after the school summer holidays. It had been planned to open in August.

In a statement, Nic Harne, corporate director for community development at the council, said the Hydro’s reopening would be delayed until September due to “unplanned works being required”.

He added:

“Refurbishment projects often uncover historic issues that need to be resolved and this complex construction is no different.”

The Stray Ferret asked the council what the unplanned works are and whether this would cost the council any more than its budgeted £13.5 million for the project.

A spokesperson for the authority said:

“There is no one thing, it is a culmination of works discovered during the complex refit.”

They added that there would be no change to the budget for the scheme.

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The leisure centre in Jennyfields closed in April last year for what was supposed to be a nine-month refurbishment costing £11.9 million.

But January’s scheduled re-opening did not happen. In May, North Yorkshire Council said the cost of the scheme had risen to £13.5 million and customers would be welcomed back in August.

However, Mr Harne said previously the Knaresborough scheme was still due to re-open later this year.

Mr Harne said:

“The new Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre remains on-track to open in November.”

Starbeck Baths set to reopen in 10 days

Starbeck Baths announced today it expects to re-open on May 15.

The Victorian swimming pool closed on April 6, just before the Easter weekend, due to an “unforeseen mechanical failure”.

Its closure was keenly felt by local swimmers because of the long-term closure of The Hydro in nearby Harrogate for a delayed £11.8 million upgrade.

But the baths posted on social media today:

“We are excited to let you know that we took a big step towards reopening today. The brand new filter has been installed and switched on for the first time. Stage one done.

“The second stage, our bit is underway, known as heat and treat which will take a week to 10 days, which is about the same time it will take for our water test results to arrive.

“If everything goes to plan, fingers and toes crossed we will be able to welcome you back to the pool from Monday 15th May.”

The pool is run by the North Yorkshire Council-controlled Brimhams Active, which manages leisure facilities in the Harrogate district.

The new filter system

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