North Yorkshire Council Archives - Page 116 of 175

Brimhams Active forecasts £330,000 loss after leisure centre delays

Brimhams Active is forecasting a £330,000 loss at the end of the year due to delays in opening new leisure centre projects in the Harrogate district.

The company, which is wholly owned by North Yorkshire Council, operates leisure facilities 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.

According to a council report, the company is forecast to record a £330,000 loss by the end of the 2023/24 financial year.

The shortfall is attributed to the delayed openings of both the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre which has “negatively affected trading projections”.

Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre

The £13.5 million Harrogate scheme on Jenny Field Drive was due to open in January, but did not do so until September.

The Knaresborough facility, which is set to cost £17 million, was scheduled to open at the end of summer but is now not due to welcome customers until November.

A council report said:

“The delayed opening of two facilities, Harrogate Leisure and Wellness and Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness, has been brought about by construction delays and has negatively affected trading projections for the remainder of the year.”

However, the report added that income from the reopening may reduce losses before the end of the year.

In an interview with the Stray Ferret last month, Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, admitted the delays at the sites had been frustrating.

However, he said the benefits of the investment would soon be felt across the district.

He said:

“We will have an estate that will be the envy of North Yorkshire. The investment that’s gone in is unprecedented and significant.”

Long-term roadworks as Harrogate office block refurbished

Work on Station Bridge in Harrogate looks set to continue indefinitely as a major office block is refurbished.

Construction work is being carried out by HACS to refurbish and redevelop Copthall Bridge House.

Businesses operating in the premises were told to vacate the building in November 2018.

A proposal to re-clad the ground floor and repaint the upper floors was approved by Harrogate Borough Council in November last year.

The application, which was submitted by a company called Rural Offices LLP, said the plans would help to “assist in attracting occupiers which will further enhance the area”.

It added:

“The building has been vacant for some time and the applicant in keen to see in brought back into active use as quickly as possible.”

As a result, one lane on Station Bridge has been closed and the footpath next to Copthall Bridge House has been closed.

According to North Yorkshire Council’s roadworks map, a notice of the works runs until April 2, 2024.

Knaresborough and Ripon picked to advance double devolution bids

Knaresborough Town Council and Ripon City Council have been picked to advance double devolution bids, which will see them take control of some local assets.

North Yorkshire Council invited town and parish councils to submit expressions of interest to run local services in November last year.

It was part of the Conservative-controlled council’s double devolution agenda which pledges to let local people take control of local assets.

In total, 12 expressions of interest were submitted to the council. Of these, three were from the Harrogate district.

The authority has now confirmed it will move forward bids from Knaresborough and Ripon, but Little Ouseburn’s proposal was rejected.

David Chance, executive councillor for corporate services at the council, said:

“Town and parish councils are integral to our county’s vibrant communities, alongside community groups, and we recognise their understanding of the needs, opportunities and strengths within their communities.

“That’s why we are looking at this pilot scheme, working initially with selected town and parish councils, enabling us to progress cautiously, learning from the experience and developing best practice.

“These proposed pilots are just the start of the process, and the hope is that more will be introduced throughout North Yorkshire in the future.”

Ripon City Council bid to control the market place.

Ripon City Council bid to control assets including the market place.

Knaresborough Town Council’s application to manage the town’s markets, storage facility and associated assets such as road closure signs will be progressed to a full business case.

Meanwhile, the council will consider a project team to work with Ripon City Council on its bid as it was deemed “particularly ambitious”.

It included management of Ripon Town Hall, Market Place and Car Park, public toilets within the city and the Wakeman’s House listed building.

However, the council rejected to take a bid from Little Ouseburn Parish Council further. It included management of the grass cutting of the green area outside Broomfield Cottages.

Senior councillors will consider recommendations at an executive meeting on October 17.

Knaresborough Castle to host free Glastonbury party next year

Knaresborough’s Party in the Castle will return next year, organisers have confirmed.

The free event, which was held in glorious sunshine in the grounds of Knaresborough Castle in June, enabled residents to watch BBC coverage of Glastonbury together on a big screen.

It was organised through a collaboration between business group Knaresborough and District Chamber and North Yorkshire Council.

Hundreds attended this year’s event. Pic: Mike Whorley

Enjoying the Glastonbury vibe. Pic: Mike Whorley

The two groups have now confirmed Party in the Castle 2024 will be held on Saturday, June 29.

A spokesperson for Knaresborough Chamber said:

“We are excited to announce the funding of 50% from North Yorkshire Council through Cllr Matt Walker and we have saved the date with Tim Dabell, manager of parks and open spaces, to secure the castle yard.

“We will be announcing our town events sponsorship packages in the new year. Party in the Castle is on for 2024!”

Ripon timber yard to be demolished for 13 homes

Plans to build 13 homes on a former Ripon timber yard have been approved.

Red Tree Developments tabled proposals to demolish the buildings on the former NY Timber site off Trinity Lane and replace them with houses.

The site was home to a timber yard from 1860 to 2018.

The plans would see 13 two-storey, two- and three-bedroom homes built.

North Yorkshire Council has approved the proposal.

It comes as a government planning inspector rejected a similar plan by Red Tree last month over concerns that the scheme did not have sufficient ground investigations and about the impact on nearby heritage assets.

However, in documents submitted to North Yorkshire Council in May, the developer says the new application addresses the reasons given for refusing the previous plan.

The developer said:

“The 13 proposed dwellings are all designed as two-storey dwellings, mostly with rooms in the roof and will have no adverse visual impact upon views from any angle in the area. The scale of the proposed dwellings is entirely appropriate within the context.”

Red Tree bought the 0.64-acre plot, which is adjacent to the listed buildings, Holy Trinity Church of England Junior School and St Wilfrid’s Catholic Church, from Cairngorm Capital for an undisclosed sum in 2020.

In a previous planning application, the developer said the timber yard, which is not listed, must be replaced due to its “poor state of repair”.

Campaigners threaten judicial review to halt motorway services near Ripon

Campaigners in Kirby Hill have given North Yorkshire Council notice of a legal challenge against a decision to approve a motorway service station near the village.

Kirby Hill Residents Against Motorway Services have told the authority they intend to press ahead with a judicial review over a move to grant permission for the service station between junctions 48 and 49 of the A1(M) northbound, near Boroughbridge and Ripon.

Councillors on the authority’s planning committee granted approval for the scheme on September 12, which would see a Welcome Break built at the site, as well a filling station and 364 car parking spaces created.

The proposal already had outline permission after the government’s Planning Inspectorate approved the plan on appeal in April 2021.

Applegreen, which is based in Dublin, applied for amendments to the proposal, including an extension to the length of the slip roads and increasing the permissible height of the eastern dumbbell roundabout by up to 1.25 metres.

However, Gareth Owens, chair of the Kirby Hill RAMS, said the move amounted to “significant change” to the scheme and confirmed the campaign group would challenge the approval.

He said:

“The leader of the new council, Cllr Carl Les, told parishes that he wants to work with them and ensure their voice is represented in North Yorkshire Council decisions.

“These laudable principles form the basis of the parish charter that he signed in July 2023. Two months later, planning officers and the strategic planning committee have ridden roughshod over the needs, rights and wishes of the local community.

“This is totally unacceptable. We have written to the council initiating the pre-action protocol for judicial review and giving them 14 days to reconsider this decision and respond, in light of the serious legal issues that we have identified.”

Mr Owens said the group would challenge the decision on four grounds: unlawful decision, irrational decision, procedural impropriety and unfair decision.

The Stray Ferret approached North Yorkshire Council for comment, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

The move comes after the government approved plans for the service station following a series of public inquiries and planning battles.

In a saga which has spanned a quarter of a century, Applegreen’s application has been before multiple council planning committees, faced four public inquiries and been turned down twice by the Secretary of State and the High Court.

The inquiry, which was held by planning inspector David Rose and streamed onto YouTube, lasted two weeks and included multiple testimonies from residents, campaigners and developer Applegreen.

In a decision notice, Mr Rose said after considering the evidence that the benefits of a service station would outweigh the harm.

Five-week road closure begins today at A59 Kex Gill

A five-week road closure has come into effect on the A59 at Kex Gill between Harrogate and Skipton today.

North Yorkshire Council has closed the road between Church Hill and Pace Gate, leading to lengthy diversions.

The council has said the closure will enable it to carry out resurfacing, essential stabilising work to the slope of the existing road as well as drainage repairs, gully-clearing, cat’s eyes replacement and maintenance of ground monitoring equipment.

A diversion will take drivers through Pool in Wharfedale and Otley before re-joining the A59. A full diversion route can be found on the North Yorkshire Council roadworks map.

The DalesBus 59 between Harrogate and Skipton will also run on an amended timetable from October 14 until November 11.

Buses will run twice a day in each direction on Saturdays only during the period of the closure and will operate from Harrogate through Otley and Ilkley before joining the A59 near Chelker Reservoir.

Work will take place on a section of the A59 which is next to the council’s £68.8 million Kex Gill re-route project.

Council officers will also be carrying out essential stabilising works to the slope of the existing road as well as drainage repairs, gully-clearing, refreshing lining, replacing cat’s eyes and maintenance of the ground monitoring equipment.

Cllr Keane Duncan, executive councillor for highways and transport at the council, said:

“Kex Gill has a history of landslips, and the route has had to be closed a total of 12 times in the past 22 years. We must stabilise the slope near the existing road to avoid any lengthy closures over the next two years whilst the new road is constructed.”

Ripon housing scheme withdrawn after highways objection

Plans to build 14 homes at Athelstan Court in Ripon have been withdrawn after North Yorkshire Council’s highways department objected.

Athelstan Court was originally part of Ripon College before being rented to HM Inland Revenue and used as offices until the organisation moved out in 2009. It was last occupied in 2013.

Harrogate Borough Council accepted a change of use application for the conversion of the main building into 16 flats this year.

Ripon-based Atzaro Box Clever Ltd hoped to develop an additional part of the former site into a mix of three and four-bedroom properties, with 30 per cent being classed as affordable.

Access to the homes was proposed from Kearsley Road, which joins the A6018 Palace Road.

However, North Yorkshire Council’s highways department said the roads within the site would not be suitable for development so the scheme should be refused.

It said:

“The roads within the site are, due to their poor alignments, poor junctions and lack of appropriate footways/lighting/turning area, considered unsuitable by the local highways authority and therefore refuse the application in its current form.”

The council said a number of amendments would need to be made including changing the placement of several properties to reduce speeds on site, introducing a crossing point and relocating visitor parking.

Ripon leisure centre work halted after ground movement detected

A £3.5 million scheme to stabilise the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon has been halted because of new suspected land movement.

Groundwork began in June following the discovery of a “void” beneath the former leisure centre building in the sinkhole-prone area.

Members have had to use a temporary gym in the car park and attend group classes at Hugh Ripley Hall in the city centre while remediation work takes place at the old building.

The new building, which includes a swimming pool, sauna and steam room has remained open.

Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre.

The new building on the site remains open.

Work was due to finish in spring next year but the latest discovery may jeopardise that — and spark fresh questions about the wisdom of choosing the site and continuing to spend money stabilising the land despite sinkhole fears.

The Stray Ferret asked North Yorkshire Council if work had been halted after noticing a lack of activity in recent weeks.

Jo Ireland, the council’s assistant director for culture and leisure, said:

“Our contractors have temporarily paused groundworks at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre as a precautionary measure while they investigate and assess signs of movement that have appeared in the internal blockwork of the existing building.

“A specialist engineer has advised the movement is predominantly aesthetic with no grounds for concern over the safety of the building.

“We will be installing a monitoring system on site in the next few days to detect any further movement that may occur. This system will give us the data we need to allow us to restart work later this month.

“We would only need to pause work again should the monitoring system detect additional significant movement, at which point further assessment of the situation would take place.”

‘Throwing good money after bad’

In October last year Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, who also represents Ripon Minster and Moorside on North Yorkshire Council, said it was time to stop “throwing good money after bad” and and “look for a suitable location for a new leisure centre to be built on sound land”.

He accused the now-defunct Harrogate Borough Council, which took the decision to build on the site, of “blindly and belligerently pouring money into propping up a centre that is nearly 30 years old and there is no guarantee that more funding won’t be needed after remediation works begin”.

Cllr Williams added:

“These works would take the total spending on this project to £18 million – some £8 million above the original budget – and they can’t continue ploughing money into this site, with its known history of ground stability issues, including a sinkhole that opened up on the leisure centre car park in 2018.”

Ripon on track to be chosen for double devolution deal

Ripon City Council has cleared an important hurdle in its double devolution bid to take control of city assets.

North Yorkshire Council invited town and parish councils to submit expressions of interest to run local services in November last year.

It was part of the Conservative-controlled council’s double devolution agenda which pledges to let local people take control of local assets.

The council said it would choose up to six locations this autumn to put forward full business cases. Final decisions are expected in spring next year before assets are transferred to successful bidders later in the year.

This afternoon Ripon City Council was notified by council assistant chief executive Rachel Joyce the evaluation board proposed to to set up individual project teams to work with Ripon and Selby.

The news is likely to come as a blow for other towns, including Knaresborough, which also expressed interest. Harrogate was unable to bid because it does not have a town council.

Ms Joyce said in correspondence with the city council:

“Two expressions of interest that were considered, submitted by Ripon Town(City) Council and Selby Town Council; were both ambitious and multi-faceted, with a number of service areas involved in the evaluation of their expressions of interest.”

Ripon Town Hall

The Ripon devolution bid sought management of Ripon Town Hall, Market Place and Car Park, public toilets within the city and the Wakeman’s House listed building.

Ms Joyce said:

“Whilst the bids were considered to be showing the level of ambition for their areas that was originally envisaged for the double devolution project they highlighted that the evaluation criteria was not sophisticated enough to manage a wide range of services within its scoring mechanisms.

“It is therefore proposed by the evaluation board that individual project teams are set up to work with Ripon City Council and Selby Town Council to bring forward double devolution proposals to be considered by the executive in these two areas recognising that these may require more support.”

The news has been welcomed by Cllr Andrew Williams, the Independent leader of Ripon City Council, who also represents the Minster and Moorside division on North Yorkshire Council.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“We have cleared an important hurdle and that’s very good news for Ripon as we seek greater say over our own destiny.

“We put forward a very strong double devolution bid and North Yorkshire Council has shown that it is willing to listen to us and work with us — in considerable contrast to the relationship that we had over almost 50 years with Harrogate Borough Council.”

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‘Throwing good money after bad’

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