Harrogate Borough Council said today it will reopen Knaresborough Pool on Monday next week and Starbeck Baths on July 19.
However, Starbeck’s reopening depends on government social distancing measures being lifted that day as anticipated.
The council tweeted the news this afternoon to end months of uncertainty, questions and suspicion over the venues’ futures.
Lockdown restrictions eased on April 12 to permit swimming pools to re-open.
However, a problem with the pool filters at Knaresborough forced it to remain closed and the council blamed social distancing restrictions for the delay in reopening Starbeck.
Frustration has grown in recent weeks, particularly over the future of Starbeck Baths, with residents questioning whether it would ever re-open.
The news that Starbeck Baths would finally reopen was welcomed by local resident Chris Watt, who has been at the forefront of the campaign to reopen the pool.
He was due to ask a question about it at tonight’s full council meeting.
Read more:
- Residents wonder if Starbeck Baths will ever re-open
- Knaresborough and Starbeck pools: still no reopening dates
He told the Stray Ferret:
“It’s good to know my little campaign has had a result. It’s a bit of a shame it’s due to local residents putting pressure on the council.
“Let’s just hope they stick to it, they have promised to reopen it before so we will have to wait and see.
“My son will be so happy: he’s been asking constantly, ‘When can I swim again?’ so he’ll be delighted.”
‘It’s about time’
Philip Broadbank, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Starbeck, told the Stray Ferret “it’s about time” the pool reopened.
“I’ve been asking consistently since last summer when the baths will reopen so it’s good news that they are doing.
“It’s about time. I’ll be holding them to it. A lot of local residents have been campaigning with me for the baths to open so they’ll be very pleased too”.
Sessions at Knaresborough can only be booked through the council’s website from 10am on Friday. Details on how to book for Starbeck will be announced at a later date.
Trevor Watson, director for economy and culture at the council, said:
“It is fantastic news that the swimming pool in Knaresborough is set to open ahead of the school summer holidays, as I know local parents and children are keen to jump back in the pool.”
He added that being required to self isolate had presented staffing problems at the pools.
Residents wonder if Starbeck Baths will ever re-open“For many of us, this doesn’t present a problem as we can work at home. But for our leisure centre staff this isn’t possible and sadly has an unavoidable impact on the services we provide.
“We are doing what we can to recruit staff, fill these gaps and return to normal as soon as it is safe to do so. I’d like to thank residents for bearing with us.”
Residents are growing increasingly concerned that Starbeck Pool will not re-open as uncertainty surrounding its future drags on.
Other Harrogate Borough Council-run pools in the district have re-opened but the local authority is still unable to say when Starbeck Baths will do so.
Starbeck Liberal Democrat councillor Philip Broadbank and local resident Chris Watt are growing increasingly frustrated.
Both question why Ripon Spa Baths has reopened but Starbeck hasn’t when they argue both have similar space restrictions.
Mr Watt says he and other residents fear the council is “planning to break its promises to keep the pool in use”. He added:
“The council’s silence around the future of Starbeck Baths is very worrying. People are increasingly concerned.
“Facilities have re-opened in Ripon, which is in a similarly sized building to Starbeck. A great deal has been spent on repairs at Knaresborough Pool and staff have been found for every other pool in the area.
“Why is the council treating Starbeck people like the poor relations?”
Cllr Philip Broadbank and local resident Chris Watt at Starbeck Baths.
The pool has been closed since December despite the government allowing pools to reopen on April 12.
Harrogate Hydro and Nidderdale Leisure Centre in Pateley Bridge opened on April 12. Ripon Spa Baths opened a month later.
Knaresborough Pool has had new filters installed but is due to reopen this month.
Cllr Philip Broadbank said he did think Starbeck Baths would reopen but added:
“I can’t understand or accept that it’s remained closed when Ripon has reopened. The layouts are very similar.
“I get frustrated and keep raising it but the council tries to reassure me that the layouts are totally different. I’m not convinced.”
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The Stray Ferret asked the council when Starbeck Baths will reopen. A council spokeswoman said:
Ripon Spa Baths gets date to reopen in May“Starbeck Baths remains an important facility amongst the leisure services we provide.
“Due to the unique layout of the building, and the government’s existing social distancing measures, we are currently unable to open the baths.
“We will have further news in the coming weeks of when the baths will reopen.”
Harrogate Borough Council has confirmed that Ripon Spa Baths will reopen to the public on May 14.
The council posted on its Twitter account that the pool would be open for lane swimming and family sessions two weeks today.
It said the sessions must be pre-booked and can only be 45 minutes long.
Earlier this month, Councillor Stanley Lumley, cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, had said he hoped to open Ripon Spa Baths and Starbeck Baths in May.
Neither pool reopened on April 12, when covid regulations allowed. The council said this was due to staff shortages and difficulties around social distancing.
Its other pools, including the Harrogate Hydro and Nidderdale Pool, reopened this month. Knaresborough Pool remains closed for urgent repairs.
Ripon city councillors had campaigned for Ripon Spa Baths to be saved after ‘for sale’ boards went up in March and questions were raised over the future of Starbeck Baths when it remained closed.
Cllr Lumley has previously said Starbeck’s pool would be opened “very soon after” Ripon Spa Baths, but the council is yet to confirm a date.
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Starbeck Baths should be ‘kept open at all costs’, say residents
Starbeck Residents Association has expressed concern that Harrogate Borough Council is “using covid as an excuse” not to re-open Starbeck Baths.
The baths, along with two other council-run pools, failed to reopen last week when lockdown restrictions eased.
With no date given for reopening, questions are being asked about the future of the 150-year-old building, which is used by local schools and residents.
Stuart Rhodes, a member of the association’s committee, said:
“We should keep it open at all costs. As a piece of architecture, history and a way of keeping Harrogate fit, it is vital.
“There is a worry covid is being used as an excuse to keep it closed.”
Read more:
- Local leisure shake-up puts Starbeck Baths’ future under the spotlight.
- Plans for new Knaresborough pool are “catastrophic” for the environment.
The future of the baths has been a contentious issue in recent weeks. The local councillor is asking for a better explanation for its continued closure.
Mr Rhodes said the pool’s future had been debated on previous occasions but each time a “community backlash” led to it staying open.
The association has considered applying for the building to get listed status to help preserve its future.
A council spokeswoman said the layout of the baths meant it cannot adhere to current government guidelines.
She added:
Questions over Starbeck Baths as council fails to give opening date“Starbeck Baths remains an important facility amongst the leisure services we provide.
“Due to the unique layout of the building, and the government’s existing social distancing measures, we are currently unable to open the baths.
“We are waiting for the government to publish future social distancing rules which will dictate how quickly we can reopen.”
Questions are being asked over the continued closure of Starbeck Baths. The 150 year old pool has yet to open after restrictions were eased a week ago.
Harrogate Borough Council said it is waiting for further government guidance regarding social distancing. It said the layout and age of the building makes it more difficult to reopen than larger venues.
With Knaresborough pool in need of repairs and the opening of the new facility in Ripon delayed, much of the district has no swimming facilities after lockdown eased.
This August all of the district’s baths will move under the control of the council’s arms-length company, Brimham’s Active.
As part of the reorganisation, a council report released last summer said “the future of Starbeck Baths would need to be considered” which led to suspicion it would be closed permanently.
The Liberal Democrat Starbeck ward councillor, Philip Broadbank said he wants a better explanation as to why it’s still closed.
He said:
“Without a pool in Knaresborough we need to have something on this side. I can’t see why its not open. Of course you do become concerned that it’s been so long and it’s an old pool and this would be the way to close it but I have been assured it will be reopened as soon as practically possible. It’s needed now more than ever.”
Read more:
The four-lane pool is the second oldest council-run pool in the UK and pre-covid was very popular with local residents.
Some have taken to social media to question its continued closure including Chris Watt who said on Twitter “I hope Harrogate Borough Council reopen Starbeck pool soon. Our little boy has been missing is swimming lessons over the last year and it’s a great community asset.”
When the Stray Ferret asked the council about Starbeck Baths it said:
“We are waiting for the government to publish guidance on future social distancing rules which will dictate how quickly we can reopen Starbeck Baths.
“There are no plans to close Starbeck Baths.”
Previously, the council leader Richard Cooper has said whilst in leadership the Baths would not be closed.
A Freedom of Information request by The Stray Ferret, last year, showed the bill for running the baths increased from £234,193 in 2018/19 to an estimated £239,370 last year.