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.”

Read more:

• Ripon Spa Baths closes after 116 years
• Ripon Leisure Centre: Harrogate council plans 3D soil map amid sinkhole fears

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.

A deep clean of Ripon’s alleyways will get underway next week in one of the first projects to be launched by the city’s new Business Improvement District.

The BID, which levies firms to fund city centre improvements, is starting its first initiatives after receiving the backing of businesses in a vote held in summer when 80% supported setting up the body.

Elizabeth Faulkner has been appointed as interim manager and said a deep cleaning of city centre alleyways will begin on Monday before other plans, including networking events, are held in the New Year. She said:

“We know these alleyways are key to the way visitors and residents use the city so we want to make them as attractive as possible.

“There has been lots of talk about what they could be used for, but first we will clean them up and then look at lighting.

“These are of course just a small part of Ripon and we have got a big destination to make an impact on so we will then start to move around the city for more deep cleaning.”

Of the 87 businesses who voted during the summer, a total of 70 – or 80% – were in favour of creating a BID.

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It means more than 280 firms within a defined area are now contributing to an annual budget of £160,000 for projects to create a safer, cleaner and better promoted city centre.

A Harrogate BID was created in 2019 but plans for a body to promote Knaresborough were rejected in October after the proposals proved to be unpopular.

Ms Faulkner, who previously managed Altrincham BID, said:

“We are aware of what has happened with other BIDs in the area. But this is Ripon’s BID and an exciting opportunity for businesses to be part of how they would like their city to move forward.

“We want as many of them as possible to get involved and the success of the BID will come from us all getting behind it.

“The pandemic has been an extremely tough time for businesses in Ripon, but the way they have worked to come out of this period has been remarkable.

“We have got incredible restaurants, independent shops and great visitor attractions. It is our job to put this package together and let people know how well worth a visit Ripon is.”

The BID has also appointed Lilla Bathurst, who previously worked for Hull BID, as assistant manager, while 13 directors drawn from the business community have been made board members.

The first networking events for businesses will be held on January 17 and 24.

Ripon City Council has called for the urgent demolition of four homes in the city that are in danger of collapse because of sinkholes.

A council meeting last night heard the properties at Bedern Court were in a “perilous” state and “the implications for public safety are enormous”.

The homes, which have remained empty since they were evacuated in October last year, border Skelgarths, one of the arterial routes through and into the city.

Peacock’s Passage, a footpath that runs alongside Bedern Court, was blocked off with permission from North Yorkshire County Council a year ago, after the owners of the stricken block raised concerns about public safety.

Peacock’s Passage has been barriered off since the evacuation of four properties at Bedern Court

Last night’s meeting saw councillors vote unanimously to support the call to contact the county council and request urgent action.

City council leader Andrew Williams, told the meeting:

“The movement of the affected block caused by sinkhole activity in the area is gaining speed and the implications for public safety are enormous.

“The block fronts onto the public highway and pavement and the potential impact of collapse and possibility of opening up of more damaging sinkholes in neighbouring areas cannot be ignored.

“If the perilous state of the building means it’s not safe to walk along Peacock’s Passage, it can’t  be safe to walk or drive past it on Skelgarths. It needs to be demolished as quickly and safely as possible.”

Skelgarths borders the affected block

Mat Pritchard, chairperson of Bedern Court Ltd, a not-for-profit company controlled by owners and leaseholders with houses and apartments in the 29-unit development. told the Stray Ferret:

“All authorities, including the parish, district and county councils, have been contacted by us and kept updated on the increasingly desperate situation that we are facing and we welcome this news from Ripon City Council.

“We have taken all of the measures that we can, but feel that we are rapidly running out of time.”

Reports from a monitoring engineer employed by Bedern Court Ltd indicated that ground movement is ongoing and appears to be speeding up.

While monitoring the signs of movement, Bedern Court Ltd continues to await the outcome of a long-standing insurance claim relating to the affected properties.

Libraries will give away comic books on Friday as the Harrogate district gears up for the arrival of a comic art convention this weekend.

More than 400 artists and exhibitors are set to attend the Thought Bubble Comic Art Convention on Saturday and Sunday at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk and Batman and Sin City artist Frank Miller are among the guests.

Other artists include Joelle Jones (illustrator and writer for Batman and Catwoman) and Doug Braithwaite (artist for many Marvel and DC comics, including Wolverine, Thor and Batman).

Attendees are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite characters, and there will be a competition for the best homemade cosplay outfits.

North Yorkshire County Council, which runs libraries, has teamed up with Thought Bubble to offer free comics and graphic novels for people to take home or give to friends on Friday.

The comic books will be available on a first come, first served basis at libraries throughout North Yorkshire. The giveaway includes titles from Marvel and DC, including stories about the likes of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, the Avengers and more.

Harrogate’s library will also host an exhibition of artwork, fan-made zines and comics created by art and design students at Harrogate College.

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County Councillor Greg White, executive member for libraries, said:

“Comics are not only fun, but can be a great way for children to develop their love of reading, so this giveaway is not to be missed.

“The county’s libraries has an extensive range of comics and graphic novels for children and adults – both in branches and online – so anyone who enjoys comics or wants to rediscover them should visit their library or search our online catalogue to see what’s on offer.”

Comics will be available from the libraries in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Skipton, Northallerton, Selby, Pickering, Malton, Whitby, Filey and Scarborough.

It was opened by royalty in 1905 and has seen generations of spa-goers and swimmers spend countless happy hours there. But Ripon Spa Bath’s long history as a leisure venue has come to an end.

The Grade II listed building – which was the last of its kind to open in England – closed on Sunday.

Staff are being transferred to a new swimming pool set to open at Ripon Leisure Centre on 8 December.

If and for what use the baths will reopen to the public will depend on the outcome of a sale by Harrogate Borough Council, which recently announced it had found an unnamed bidder for the building.

However, the sale has not been a straightforward one so far with concerns being raised that the venue could lose its community use before Ripon City Council successfully applied for it to be nominated as an asset of community value.

This protected status means any sale has been put on hold for six months to allow time for community bids to come forward.

Councillor Andrew Williams, leader of Ripon City Council, said the authority was exploring a “number of options” for the baths which he shared his favourite memories of.

He said:

“My mum used to swim in the spa baths as a child in the 1940s and has happy memories of being able to swim all afternoon on a Saturday for 4 pence.

“She has less happy memories of jumping off the top diving board onto the head of one of her friends.

“I remember learning to swim at the spa baths in the 1970s and many local residents will I am sure have memories of the spa baths.

Read More:

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“We must now ensure that happy memories can be created in a new era of swimming in Ripon at our new pool.

“Ripon City Council are continuing to explore and evaluate a number of options regarding the future use of the spa baths site and we remain committed to working to ensure that the site continues to provide facilities for local residents.

“We want to ensure that the listed front of the spa baths is returned to its former glory as part of any new use for the site.”

Listed status

Councillor Williams previously said he held positive talks with the unnamed bidder but added the city council wanted to “keep all of our options open” and had asked to be considered as a potential bidder itself.

Harrogate Borough Council has always insisted it has been open to any offers for the venue which was opened as a spa by Princess Henry of Battenberg in 1905.

It was more than 30 years later when the swimming pool was built to the rear of the building, which is known for its terracotta-clad frontage and gained listed status in 1980.

The new swimming pool and upgrades at Ripon Leisure Centre were due to be completed earlier this year but are now facing further delays after the discovery of an underground void revealed the need for further groundworks.

These works are likely to lead to a six-month closure of part of the venue, although the opening of the new swimming pool will not be affected.

Conservative MP for Skipton and Ripon Julian Smith is back in the spotlight for having three consultancy roles that earn him an extra £144,000 a year.

The Guardian reported today that MPs could be barred from holding consultancy positions.

It listed Mr Smith as the second highest paid of 30 MPs that would be affected by the move.

The news comes after the former Conservative MP Owen Paterson MP was found to have used his position to lobby the government on behalf of two companies that paid him.

The issue has reignited the debate over whether MPs should be allowed to hold external positions, and prompted allegations of sleaze.

As previously reported in the Stray Ferret, Mr Smith has three advisory roles outside of Parliament. They are in addition to his £81,932 annual salary as an MP.

All the roles were approved by the Advisory Committee of Business Appointments.

Mr Smith was Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from July 2019 to February 2020.

In August 2020 he began advising Ryse Hydrogen, whose chief executive Jo Bamford also owns Wrightbus, a Northern Ireland bus manufacturer. The contract is £60,000 for 20 hours of work.

He is also paid to work for 30 to 40 hours over 12 months for MJM Marine, a cruise ship refurbishment company based in County Down. This contract is also for £60,000.

In January 2021 he began another role, advising Cork-based sustainable energy and aquaculture company Simply Blue Management. He is paid £24,000 over a year for up to two hours work per month.

Read more:

• Ripon MP Julian Smith extends £3,000 an hour advisory role
• Julian Smith MP criticised for taking on third lucrative advisory role

Pat Marsh, the Liberal Democrat leader on Harrogate Borough Council, said Mr Smith should “rethink” his other jobs and added that MPs should be stopped from taking on other work.

She said:

“His job is being an MP. To take on a paid position is so wrong. 

“From a purely democratic position, when you’re elected that should be the major concern, not distracted with outside jobs.

Shan Oakes, co-ordinator for Harrogate & District Green Party, said she was “appalled” by the Owen Patterson affair.

Ms Oakes, who attended the Stray bonfire on Saturday night holding rubbish bags with ‘Tory Sleaze’ written on them. added:

“With Harrogate having lots of Tory voters we assumed we’d get a lot of flack but we had not one negative comment. People were saying ‘thank you’.

“The whole thing stinks. Once these mechanisms of democracy are meddled with like this then we’re on a real road to ruin.”

The Stray Ferret asked Mr Smith to comment but did not receive a response.

Ripon Cathedral will play host to a concert this coming weekend to raise money and awareness for a local mental health charity.

Wellspring Therapy and Training, which is based in Starbeck, provides affordable counselling to people suffering from mental illness.

Harrogate concert pianist Julian Saphir and soprano Eleanore Cockerham, a former member of internationally-acclaimed singing group VOCES8, will star in the November 12 concert, which is called A Night to Remember.

They will be joined by local choirs and performers, including Nidd Chorale, Unity Voices, Harrogate Theatre Choir, and St Aidan’s School Chamber Choir.

The concert also aims to raise awareness by exploring themes of memory and thanksgiving.

Concert Co-ordinator, David Moon, said:

“This event is a wonderful opportunity to explore and experience the power music has on our mood and raise money for Wellspring, which is providing a vital wellbeing service in our local community.”

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Referrals to Wellspring shot up during covid, forcing the charity to temporarily suspend its waiting list. Operations have now returned to normal and the charity has supported over 700 people in the last year.

Sarah James, therapeutic lead for the charity, said:

“Our counsellors are frequently working with adults who present with depression, anxiety, trauma, loss, relationship issues, low self-esteem, emotional abuse, loss of confidence and stress. Many people we support have been signposted to us for more in-depth/long-term therapeutic work that is too expensive for many people to fund for themselves.”

The concert begins at 7pm on November 12. Tickets start at £12 for adults and £5 for children, and are available online here.

Ripon Community Hospital is set to undergo a £161,000 refurbishment.

NHS Property Services, which owns the building, is carrying out works to the hospital site to upgrade its roofs, kitchens and heating system.

The organisation has handed a £161,231 contract to Richmond-based Acomb Construction Ltd to take on the work.

It comes as part of NHS Property Services’ five-year plan for the hospital and the improvements will form the second phase of works to the site.

It will include upgrading some of the 30-year-old flooring, roofing and a range of electrical units for the building.

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Health bosses said the work was part of an ongoing refurbishment of Ripon hospital, which will bring the site “up to standard”.

They added that the work had been designed with the input of staff and that the nurses’ station will be refurbished along with new kitchen facilities and a staff breakout area.

Martin Salmon, senior construction manager at NHS Property Services, said: 

“NHS Property Services is committed to a 5-year investment plan that aims to bring Ripon Community Hospital up to the very best of standards, providing first-rate facilities for staff and patients. 

“We are pleased that once these improvements have been made, they will help the NHS to deliver excellent patient care.”

Few major employees in the Harrogate district have experienced more turbulent times recently than Wolseley.

The plumbing and heating merchants, which has a £1.8bn turnover, employs almost 5,000 staff globally, of which 270 are based in Ripon and 150 at a distribution centre in Melmerby.

Besides covid, this year Wolseley has been at the sharp end of Brexit and been sold to private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier and Rice for £308 million.

The man navigating the choppy waters is Simon Oakland, who has been chief executive of Wolseley UK since January last year.

Mr Oakland, who has a background in private equity, has been with the company in its various guises since 2012.

He doesn’t hide how difficult the last 18 months have been, particularly for staff in Ripon. The site, which opened in 1971, provides support functions, including accounts, payments, IT support and HR and have such felt the brunt of all the changes.

“As a business we have been through a lot of difficulties. There had been damaging cost cutting measures and we’ve been through a few strategic initiatives that haven’t been successful.”

The company, he says, lost customer focus when it integrated divisions in 2017. But a divisional restructure, completed in July last year, was the catalyst for recovery, he says.

The new suite at Ripon.

The figures back him up. In the financial year ending 31 July 2020, Wolseley lost £250 million of sales. Profit, forecast to be £60 million, came in at £6 million, partly due to covid.

But recently published accounts for the financial year ending 31 July 2021 show £75 million profit – considerably up on the pre-covid £54 million figure of 2019. Mr Oakland says:

“This is the first year of genuine growth since 2012.

“From August 1 last year we have had a strong recovery. The market is strong, but we’ve taken a lot of market share.”

He highlights the acquisition of 32 branches of Graham Plumbers in July as evidence of recovery.

Brexit blues

Brexit has not affected demand but it has disrupted the supply chain by making it harder for small European manufacturers to import into the UK.

It’s also created “real complexity” with exporting products to Northern Ireland, says Mr Oakland. The company now has to provide detailed certificate of origin forms and prove its products to Northern Ireland wont be moved on to the Republic of Ireland. He says:

“The process of importing from Europe is going to continue being a small stone in our shoe.

“The process of moving products to Northern Ireland is going to be very complex. Even with the number of exemptions in place now it’s incredibly complex. If those exemptions come off it will be even more complex.”

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Until this year Wolseley was part of a FTSE 100 company called Ferguson PLC, which operates in the US, Canada and the UK. But its demerger from Ferguson and sale to Clayton, Dubilier and Rice led to huge change.

“The demerger caused a lot of work and that significantly impacted teams in Ripon, especially finance and IT. We were fully integrated on IT with US and Canada and had to migrate.”

Private equity firms don’t have the best reputations but Mr Oakland says:

“I spent 20 years in private equity. I get private equity inside and out. There are different styles. Some buy defunct businesses and liquidate stock. At the other end you have firms that understand the sector and try to support and grow the business.”

Clayton, Dubilier and Rice fall into the latter camp, he says, and “bring real strategic insight”. But it wasn’t an easy sell to staff.

“I took the decision in July 2020 to be totally open with colleagues and told them it was likely we would be sold to a private equity firm. They took a lot of confidence from the fact that I have been a partner in a private equity firm. That helped to defuse the uncertainty and the Chinese whispers.

“The real theme was that we would be able to tap into our independence.”

50 years in Ripon

Wolseley was founded in 1887, when Frederick York Wolseley launched the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine. The firm expanded into manufacturing and in 1899, the first Wolseley horseless carriage went on sale in the UK at £120.

It acquired a number of heating companies in the 1960s. Today plumbing and heating account for £1 billion of the £1.8 billion turnover. Your home’s boiler, pipework, bathroom fittings and gas and electricity meters could well have been made by Wolseley.

Part of the refurbished Ripon site.

The company opened its Ripon office on Boroughbridge Road in 1971. The site reopened this year after a £500,000 refurbishment, which included a new learning and development suite for training courses. Mr Oakland says:

“It’s completely transformed the business in Ripon. It was very tired inside.”

Mr Oakland was born in Dewsbury and his grandparents lived in Starbeck. He is based in Warwickshire and says he looks forward to his trips north:

“I love it. It takes me back to the places where I went to as a kid.”

He enjoys food and wine and tries to complete one or two triathlons each year. Training isn’t easy when you’re on the road three or four nights a week but after a period of upheaval, quieter times at Wolseley may be ahead. He says:

“The business is in a really good place now.”

It might not be the Alps, but Grantley Hall is set to bring a touch of “chalet chic” to the district with the launch of its new winter drinking and dining venue this weekend.

The luxury hotel, near Ripon, has transformed its summer marquee into a winter wonderland – complete with cozy blankets and sheepskins, twinkling lights, vintage skis and sledges and festive décor.

It is hoped Après at The Orchard will appeal to residents in the local area, rather than just hotel guests, who can combine it with a stroll around the stunning grounds.

Sarah Baines, Grantley Hall’s marketing manager, said:

We want people in the local community to feel like we have an open door and it’s not just an exclusive venue you can’t come and visit.”

Sneak peak

We were invited along for a sneak peak at the new Alpine-inspired winter retreat ahead of a glitzy après-ski night party on Saturday and its launch to the public on Sunday.

If you haven’t visited Grantley yet, it is definitely one for the list. The staff could not be more accommodating and it really is a stunning hotel.

The transformation from a whimsical summer escape to a snuggly winter retreat had just begun when I was shown into The Orchard, a sailcloth marquee located on the West Terrace, boasting sweeping views of the gardens.

The Orchard at Grantley Hall.

Due to an event taking place earlier in the week, the small team was tasked with decorating the venue in just two days. This is no mean feat as it’s a big space. For their sake, I was relieved to hear they didn’t have to cart the huge olive trees out of the marquee, but instead were going to adorn them with twinkling lights.

Up for the challenge

Although a lot of work is involved in the glitzy transformation, the enthusiastic staff were completely up for the challenge. I have no doubt it will look incredible for the glamorous launch party on Saturday, which has around 100 people on the guest list.

Sarah said:

“It’s all very exciting. The thought process for The Orchard was built on the back of al fresco dining, which came on the back of the pandemic.

“We just saw a real opportunity to create a more creative outdoor dining experience. You can just throw the sides open and walk out into the grounds.

“We had the conversation internally about what do we do about it in winter. The Orchard has got a following now and it’s a really nice space and is something we didn’t want to lose.

“This way we can run it all the way through the year.”

Visitors and hotel guests will be able to enjoy some real winter treats from an Alpine-inspired menu including boozy hot chocolates, warming cocktails, a traditional cheese fondue and tartiflette. There is also a melting Valrhona hot chocolate cake with malted milk chocolate sauce and homemade marshmallows on there, which is obviously first on my list.

Cheese fondue for two.

Sarah said:

“It’s a lot more casual than the rest of the hotel. We really do now have something for everyone.

“The menu is a real mix and it includes small plates, nibbles and flatbreads.

“You can splash out and go for it and make it a full celebration, or you can simply come for a flatbread and a coffee. You could even just come for drinks and have a couple of hot chocolates and a wander around the grounds.”

Since opening its doors in 2019, Grantley Hall has quickly earned a reputation as a top destination for the rich and famous.

It is a stately countryside stay, a glitzy resort, a wellness retreat and a foodie haven. And it is without doubt the place to be you want to show off on Instagram.

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The 18th-century mansion, which has been dubbed by guests as “The Ritz of Ripon”, opened as a hotel after a £70m refurbishment.

It boasts 47 rooms, four restaurants, including one with a Michelin star, and 30 acres of sweeping wooded parkland and grounds.

Booking and opening hours

Après at The Orchard is open to the public from Sunday, November 7 until the end of March 2022.

The opening times are:

• Wednesday to Thursday: 5pm – 9pm
• Friday to Sunday: 12pm – 9pm

Bookings can be made online here, via email at dine@grantleyhall.co.uk or phone 01765 620070.