Ripon Leisure Centre ground works will cost £3.5 million

Ground stability work at Ripon Leisure Centre is set to cost £3.5 million and cause further delays for a refurbishment project which is already over budget and more than a year overdue.

The costs have been revealed in a Harrogate Borough Council report, which said the project now won’t be completed until spring 2024.

The centre’s new swimming pool opened this year, but plans for a larger gym and exercise studios have been delayed after underground voids were discovered beneath the older half of the site which was built in 1995.

Engineering firm Stantec carried out ground investigations over winter and has now proposed remedial works, which will cost the council £3.5 million and mean parts of the centre are closed for at least 10 months from November.

Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre

A temporary gym in the venue’s car park has also been proposed and will cost an additional £300,000, while the new swimming pool will remain open throughout.

A report to a meeting of the council’s cabinet next week said the authority had made “every effort to provide an accurate estimate” of the costs, but added these could rise further once the ground stability works begin.

The report also said:

“It is appropriate and timely to undertake the remedial works now.

“The consulting engineer has previously stated that in their professional opinion a do-nothing approach is unacceptable from a public safety perspective.

“By undertaking the works, which also include installing post works monitoring equipment, the council will ensure that it has put into place adequate mitigation to address the risks.”

‘Deep concerns’ before building began

A decision to build the new swimming pool next to the existing leisure centre was made in 2019 despite some councillors raising “deep concerns” over ground stability issues at the site where a sinkhole opened up the previous year.

The council continually insisted that professional advice made it clear that the site is “safe to use” before it awarded a £10 million contract for the project to construction firm Wilmott Dixon in 2020.

Since then, a further £4.5 million has been set aside by the council after the discovery of the underground voids and other issues which delayed the opening of the new swimming pool.

This extra money does not include the ground stability works or temporary gym costs revealed this week.

If approved by cabinet members, the ground stability works will start in December and end next summer before checks are carried out and a monitoring system is installed.

The refurbishment works would then start after this, with completion in spring 2024.

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Council set to carry out ground stability work at Ripon Leisure Centre

Ground stability work is set to start underneath Ripon Leisure Centre and could take a year to complete.

The project comes as an investigation was carried out following the discovery of a void beneath the original leisure centre in 2020.

Harrogate Borough Council said the void is understood to have been “present for a number of years and was only discovered when the reinforced concrete slab, which provides the foundation for the new swimming pool, was cast”.

Senior Harrogate borough councillors will be recommended to approve the stability work at a cabinet meeting on August 17.

If approved, work will start on the project in the autumn but could take a year to complete – meaning it will be finished after the council is abolished.

The first floor of the original leisure centre will reopen once the work is complete.

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A temporary gym has been proposed for Ripon Leisure Centre while the stabilisation work is carried out.

Cllr Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, said:

“By addressing these historic issues it allows us the opportunity to further invest in the facility and ensure future generations will be able to access modern sport and leisure facilities in their city for many years to come.

“And by providing a temporary gym, while the ground stabilisation works take place, we can minimise the disruption to current and potential customers and ensure they can continue to maintain their health and wellbeing goals.”

Plans to set up temporary gym at Ripon Leisure Centre

Harrogate Borough Council has submitted a planning application to install a temporary gym at  Ripon Leisure Centre.

It comes after an investigation into ground conditions beneath the older half of the leisure centre after an underground void was discovered in 2020.

The first floor of the leisure centre is currently open but the ground floor remains closed because of concerns over safety.

The council said the void is understood to have been “present for a number of years and was only discovered when the reinforced concrete slab, which provides the foundation for the new swimming pool, was cast.”

The temporary gym – which will be situated in the car park next to the main entrance – is due to open in the autumn whilst ground stabilisation works take place.

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Councillor Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, said:

“We remain committed to enabling people to enjoy physical activity. By providing a temporary gym, while the ground stabilisation works take place, we can minimise the disruption to current and potential customers and ensure they can continue to maintain their health and wellbeing goals.”

 

 

 

Why more construction challenges lie ahead for Ripon leisure centre

There were celebrations at Ripon’s Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre this month when a multi-million pound swimming pool opened after months of costly delays.

It was hailed as a “major development” by Harrogate Borough Council, which invited the city’s three-time Olympic medalist to officially open the new facility that proudly displays his name above the main entrance.

The opening on March 2 was also welcomed by residents who were left without a pool for months after the closure of Ripon Spa Baths in November.

Jack Laugher holds his Olympic gold medal at the opening.

But attention is now turning to the outcome of an investigation into ground conditions beneath the older half of the leisure centre where an underground void was discovered in 2020.

The investigation by engineering firm Stantec could end next week and will be followed by a report setting out what reinforcement works will be required ahead of the completion of the venue’s redevelopment project, which is nine months overdue and £4million over budget, and included the new pool.

A spokesperson for the council said: 

“These investigations began in February and should be finished in the coming week.

“Once they have been completed, we will have a comprehensive understanding of what is required to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come.

“Should remedial work be required, the final stages of the investment project – predominantly to the ground floor of the existing leisure centre – will be completed once this work has been carried out.”

The underground void was discovered in 2020, but only became public knowledge last May when the £110,000 investigation was agreed by councillors.

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This was followed by an initial report from Stantec last November which was described as “sobering reading” by council leader Richard Cooper.

‘Significant deterioration’

The report suggested there had been a “significant deterioration” of the ground beneath the older half of the leisure centre, which was built in 1995 and like much of Ripon sits on gypsum deposits.

It also said piles were not driven deep enough into the ground during the initial construction and that it remained unclear why this happened as “many critical records” were missing.

The report added strengthening works could include steelworks, thickened floors and grouting where mortar is pumped into the ground – the same method “successfully” used to stabilise the new pool.

However, it said strengthening alone is “unlikely to mitigate risks to acceptable levels” and that other measures would be required, including long-term monitoring.

The new Ripon swimming pool.

The new Ripon swimming pool.

The council decided to build the pool next to the leisure centre in 2019 despite some councillors raising “deep concerns” about ground stability at the site where a sinkhole opened up the previous year.

‘Safe to use’

The council has continually insisted that professional advice has made it clear that the site is “safe to use”.

But what remains to be seen are the crucial conclusions of the ongoing investigation, which is likely to stretch the project further into this year.

Ripon Independents councillor Pauline McHardy said while she and many residents were “delighted” with the new pool, it was now key that any extra costs and delays were kept to a minimum.

She said: 

“We must remember that a sinkhole appeared on the land prior to the work starting, so Harrogate Borough Council knew the risk they were taking of building on that land rather than elsewhere in Ripon.

“I hope the remainder of the work can be completed quickly and with minimal further cost to deliver the combined leisure and swimming facility that Ripon was promised.”

Ripon leisure centre named after local Olympic hero Jack Laugher

Ripon Leisure Centre is set to become the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in honour of the local Olympic hero.

Jack Laugher’s family home is in Littlethorpe, near Ripon. He attended Ripon Grammar School and learned to dive with the Harrogate and District Diving Club.

He became Great Britain’s first Olympic champion in diving alongside his partner Chris Mears at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He followed it up with an individual silver to become the most successful British diver ever.

In the years that followed he achieved three gold medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, a bronze and silver medal in the 3m individual and synchro springboard events respectively at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju and a bronze medal in the 3m springboard at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The council has said the new six-lane 25 metre pool at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre is now set to open “early in the new year” after a number of delays due to problems in construction.

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Jack Laugher said:

“I’m truly honoured that Harrogate Borough Council have named the new facility in Ripon the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre.

“As a city I grew-up in and a district where I learned to swim and dive, I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would have a facility named after me.

“I hope this new pool and the diving facilities in Harrogate encourage others to follow their dreams like I have.”

Councillor Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, said:

“The addition of the new swimming pool is a major development for Ripon and shows our commitment to providing modern and fit-for-purpose leisure facilities.

“Jack may not have had this opportunity if it wasn’t for his perseverance and determination, and the leisure facilities available across the Harrogate district. I am therefore delighted that we have named the new facility after him.

“The pool will open early in the new year and I hope everyone, irrespective of disability, gender, age, race, sexual orientation or religion use this fantastic new facility.”

EXCLUSIVE: Ripon leisure scheme racks up additional £1m cost

The Stray Ferret can reveal that Ripon’s new swimming pool and leisure centre has racked up another £1 million in cost.

According to a freedom of information request obtained by Ripon resident and chartered civil engineer Stanley Mackintosh, the council agreed a budget of £14.5 million for the scheme back in September.

The Stray Ferret previously reported that the scheme was already £3.3 million over budget.

The new figure was revealed after Mr Mackintosh successfully appealed a decision by Harrogate Borough Council to refuse disclosing the information on commercial grounds.

Following an internal review, the council overturned its previous refusal and disclosed the total sum of its budget in September.

In its full FOI response to Mr Mackintosh HBC said that:

This means that the authority’s budget is £4 million more than a previous contract agreed for construction.

The original 17-month contract signed with construction company and principal contractor Willmott Dixon was for £10.2 million, with a completion date of May this year.

However, the move was delayed and the pool is expected to open on December 8.

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Mr Mackintosh told the Stray Ferret that he felt the site is unstable and that “things were bound to go wrong” with the site.

He said:

“I do not think it [the site] has long term stability. Nobody can know how long it will last.”

The morning, Conservative Cllr Nigel Simms said he stood by his view that the choice of Dallamires Lane for the new pool was a poor use of public money.

Cllr Simms told the Stray Ferret:

“Nothing has happened to change my mind, the geology of the site with its sinkhole issues, means it’s the wrong place.

“I’m all in favour of new leisure facilities for Ripon, but a more stable area should have been selected.”

Further concern of the pool site was raised earlier this month after a council-commissioned report by engineering company Stantec outlined measures to mitigate the effects of a void that was detected last year.

Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, called for the council to postpone a decision on the measures and give greater consideration to finding an alternative site.

However, senior councillors voted to press ahead with its plan to carry out further work while opening most of the site.

‘Sobering’ report describes void under Ripon’s new leisure centre

An almost 300-page report on the discovery of an underground void at Ripon Leisure Centre has been described as “sobering reading”.

In the report published by Stantec, the engineering firm details how the void was found during works on the centre’s new multi-million pound swimming pool and why further investigations and groundworks are now required.

It said initial studies suggest there has been a “significant deterioration” of the ground beneath the older half of the centre which was built in 1995 and like much of Ripon sits on gypsum deposits.

The report begins by looking at construction records which reveal several ground piles had failed during the build almost three decades ago.

Stantec said the piles were not driven deep enough into the ground and that it remains unclear why this happened as “many critical records” are missing.

Replacement piles were added during the build, the report said, but it is believed these were driven into partially-filled holes.

Fast-forward more than 20 years after construction was completed and a sinkhole opened up outside the centre in 2018.

A year later, the refurbishment plans and new pool were approved by Harrogate Borough Council despite some councillors raising “deep concerns” over ground stability.

These works began shortly after and Stantec’s report said it was in September 2020 when the void was found by construction crews.

This was investigated and all areas beneath the older building will now be examined in the New Year.

The report said the void is having a “limited impact” on the building but “will continue to degrade over time” without action.

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Stantec gives three options to solve ground stability issues across this half of the site: do nothing, demolition or ground strengthening.

It said the do nothing approach is “unacceptable from a public safety perspective”, while demolition was not considered to be “cost-effective” by the council.

It added strengthening could include steelworks, thickened floors and grouting where mortar is pumped into the ground – the same method “successfully” used to stabilise the new swimming pool building.

Long-term monitoring

However, it said strengthening alone is “unlikely to mitigate risks to acceptable levels” and that other measures would be required including long-term monitoring.

The report added any ground collapse before or after these works was not likely to be “catastrophic” but would be gradual and seen through cracks in the building.

At Wednesday’s meeting, council leader Richard Cooper said the findings made for “sobering reading” before he and other cabinet members approved the next stage of investigations.

Other council officials stressed the centre is “safe to use” and that the new pool, due to open on 8 December, will not be affected.

Councillor Stanley Lumley, cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said:

“It is very important to distinguish that there are two separate issues and projects here.

“Only during the construction of the new pool was it identified that there was a potential problem with the existing building.

“We have got professional engineers, designers and consultants on the site, and we have to take advice from them.”

During the strengthening works, the older half of the centre is likely to close for around six months when the council said it would look to provide gym facilities at a different venue in Ripon.

The closures will mean the centre – which was due to be refurbished and open its new pool earlier this year – will not fully reopen until mid-2022.

Sinkhole experts urge councillors to consider new site for Ripon pool

Two sinkhole experts have urged councillors to consider finding an alternative site for the new Ripon leisure centre and pool — a month before it is due to open.

Their comments come after a newly released report by engineering company Stantec revealed the Dallamires Lane site could be permanently plagued by the threat of sinkholes.

Harrogate Borough Council commissioned the report after a void was discovered last year.

Michael Constantine, the council’s head of operations, has recommended councillors approve remedial work at a cabinet meeting tonight. But the experts have urged them to postpone a decision and take a longer-term view of the issues raised in the report.

Stanley Mackintosh, a chartered engineer in Ripon, said in a letter to the council that there was a “substantial risk of sudden catastrophic collapse” of land on the site due to the weak “pie-crust” nature of the land.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“The long term safety implications and unfathomable future costs seem to be very seriously underestimated by the council.”

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The Stantec report reveals there has been substantial and ongoing ground instability beneath the leisure centre building over three decades. It suggests the only way to avoid ongoing problems and costs is to find another site because the bedrock beneath the void is significantly disturbed and collapsed.

Mr Mackintosh, who has consistently raised concerns with the council about building a pool on land with a history of ground instability issues, said the report to councillors tonight contained “inaccuracies and omissions”.

He told the Stray Ferret:

“I am concerned that the new connecting walkway bridge may be a structural weak link, potentially unsafe for routine use by public and staff.

“As a chartered engineer, it remains my opinion that continuing to use the first floor of the existing leisure centre – and the said ‘weak link’ aerial walkway access to it– is an inadvisable and unnecessary risk to public safety.

“We should each, perhaps, honestly ask ourselves: “What kind of catastrophe at this Ripon Camp Close development, in part consequential to our own choices or inaction, could ever be justified?”

‘Gradual collapse’

Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, said he believed “gradual collapse” was a likelier scenario than sudden collapse.

But he agreed the council should give greater consideration to relocating to another site — an option councillors are recommended to reject tonight. Dr Thompson said:

“Given the huge and ever-increasing costs of the proposed works at Camp Close, the relative cost-benefits of relocation need to be seriously investigated as an alternative option, and not just dismissed out of hand, as the councillors are being asked to do.

“I do suspect that there will be ongoing ground instability at the Camp Close site and that, even with the proposed mitigation works, this risk will never be entirely eliminated. This is why the alternative option is so important.”

Stantec’s 277-page report says there is a “residual risk” of “catastrophic ground collapse” at the site, where a six-lane pool is due to open on December 8.

The top floor of the adjoining leisure centre is also due to open but the ground floor will remain shut while the remedial work is carried out.

Construction firm Willmott Dixon was awarded a £10.2 million contract in 2019 to build the pool and refurbish the leisure centre. It is not known how much the costs have risen to.

Mr Constantine’s report to councillors tonight says:

“The consulting engineer has stated that in their professional opinion a do nothing approach is unacceptable from a public safety perspective.

“By undertaking the works, which may also include installing post works monitoring equipment, the council will ensure that it has put in to place adequate mitigation to address the risks highlighted within the Stantec report.

“It is noted that the consulting engineer has highlighted that pile or pile group failure itself is unlikely to be catastrophic and would most likely be observed as a gradual settlement, structural cracking, and distortion of the structure.”

Council insists Ripon pool ‘safe’ to open despite sinkhole fears

Harrogate Borough Council officials have said the new Ripon swimming pool will be safe to open despite news this week that further ground investigations are necessary.

The six-lane pool on Dallamires Lane is due to open on December 8. The adjoining leisure centre is due to partially open on the same date.

The council issued a statement this week saying it planned to carry out “ground remedial works and a thorough investigation programme” of the leisure centre site, which could result in further remedial work and a six-month closure.

It follows the discovery of a void near the leisure centre last year, which prompted an investigation at an estimated cost of £110,000.

The Stray Ferret asked the authority whether it remained confident the pool was safe to open next month despite the need for further work, which will include commissioning a 3D map of underground soil conditions

A spokesperson said the sites were “two separate foundations” and that the swimming pool was safe to use.

Safety concerns

As reported by the Stray Ferret, Ripon-based chartered engineer Stanley Mackintosh has consistently raised concerns with the council about the suitability of building a swimming pool on land with a history of ground instability issues.

Mr Mackintosh told the Stray Ferret that public safety at the site had “to be the overriding consideration” and that he would be writing to senior Harrogate councillors ahead of their decision on further investigative works on Wednesday.

Dr Alan Thompson, a geologist and director of director of Cuesta Consulting in Somerset, has also previously raised safety concerns following an investigation by consultancy firm Stantec into the “cavity” that appeared at the site in September last year.

News of the latest investigation raises questions over whether the ground instability problems can be permanently solved and how much it will cost taxpayers to fund any further remedial works that may be required.

The city’s leisure centre will only be partially open when the new swimming pool comes on stream in five weeks time.

The ground floor is to remain closed, while the first floor gym will open.

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Council officials said in a report that the leisure centre could continue to operate half open while investigations at the site are carried out, possibly in the New Year.

It said:

“In August 2021, an officer decision was made, following advice from the consulting engineers that Ripon Leisure Centre could continue to operate on the reconfigured and refurbished first floor.

“The consulting engineers informed officers that they did not believe that there had been a geological change to the risk profile of the building since the initial void at the right hand side by the entrance was discovered in 2020.”

However, the site will close for six months if further further work is required. The report added that the investigation would not affect the swimming pool.

Void discovered

When asked why the first floor of the leisure site was to remain open instead of closing the entire building during the investigations, a council spokesperson said “the consulting engineers have advised the existing leisure centre can remain open”.

The void is understood to have been beneath the older half of the centre for several years and was discovered near where a sinkhole opened up in 2018. Ripon is notorious for sinkholes.

The initial investigations covered around 15% of the building’s footprint and if approved by senior councillors next week, the remainder will be surveyed.

It is likely this will lead to the need for ground strengthening works, similar to what was done to stabilise the ground beneath the new swimming pool.

During this time, the council said it would look to provide gym facilities at a different venue in the city which is one of the UK’s most sinkhole-prone areas.

Ripon Leisure Centre: Harrogate council plans 3D soil map amid sinkhole fears

Harrogate Borough Council is to commission a 3D map of underground soil conditions at the new multi-million pound Ripon Leisure Centre, amid ongoing safety concerns.

The council said in a statement last night the imaging would be part of “ground remedial works and a thorough investigation programme” following the discovery of a void.

The city has a history of sinkholes caused by the soluble of nature gypsum, the rock that lies under much of the area.

The statement said a survey of the whole site and the 3D map would “ensure leisure facilities can continue to be safely provided in Ripon”.

Senior councillors will be asked to approve the remedial works and investigation at a cabinet meeting next week,

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As reported by the Stray Ferret, Ripon-based chartered engineer Stanley Mackintosh has consistently raised concerns with the council about the suitability of building a swimming pool on land with a history of ground instability issues. But he feels his comments, made at a June 2019 planning meeting where the new leisure centre was approved, were largely dismissed.

The council now plans to open a new six-lane pool on the site on December 8 — but the adjoining leisure centre will only partially open on that date because of concerns about the void.

Council officials confirmed last week that the leisure centre’s ground floor will remain closed.

‘Disappointment for some’

Trevor Watson, Harrogate Borough Council’s director of economy, environment and housing, said yesterday:

“Understandably, the delayed opening of some of the new facilities in the leisure centre will be a disappointment for some, but by carrying out this investigation now it will allow us to provide fit-for-purpose leisure facilities for the people of Ripon for years to come.”

The void is understood to have been present a number of years and was only discovered last year when the reinforced concrete slab, which provides the foundation for the new swimming pool, was cast.

In May, the council approved an investigation into the “void in the ground” at an estimated cost of £110,000. Now further measures are planned.

The project, which includes a pool, fully-refurbished leisure centre and outside play areas was initially scheduled for completion in May, but ground stabilisation work known as grouting, contributed to a six-month hold up.