North Yorkshire Council has revealed it has pumped almost 3,000 tonnes of grout into a void underneath Ripon leisure centre as part of ground stabilisation works that began last summer and have cost £3.4 million to date.

The Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre opened in March 2022 but whilst the pool is in use, plans for a gym at the previously built leisure centre on the same site were delayed after an underground void was discovered.

This prompted an investigation by engineering firm Stantec, which found evidence of multiple voids and “significantly weak” areas of ground beneath the older half of the leisure centre that was built in 1995.

It warned that not carrying out remedial repairs would be “unacceptable from a public safety perspective”.

Ripon is susceptible to voids and sinkholes because it lies on a layer of water-soluble rock called gypsum.

North Yorkshire Council began works to stabilise the ground last summer by pumping it with grout.

A council spokesperson said that as of this month, 2,810 tonnes of grout has been used during the works, costing £3.4m.

They were unable to say exactly when the work will finish, only that it would be this year.

It means a temporary gym costing £300,000 that was erected in the leisure centre’s car park last year will remain open, despite the council previously insisting it would be removed by March 2024.

Retired chartered engineer Stanley Mackintosh campaigned against the site being used for the leisure centre due to the gypsum issues.

Mr Mackintosh told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the ground stabilisation works has become a literal example of a “sunk cost fallacy” for the council. He said he also has concerns about its environmental impact.

He said:

“The works are essentially ineffective and structurally dangerous, but I’m also concerned about the related release of thousands of tonnes of CO2 into our atmosphere during that process.”

The topic of the leisure centre was raised at a recent mayoral hustings event held by Zero Carbon Harrogate.

Independent candidate Keith Tordoff described the works as resulting from “gross incompetence” by leaders at the now defunct Harrogate Borough Council, which chose the site, and North Yorkshire Council.

He said:

“They knew about the sinkholes around Ripon and were advised about it. It’s a disaster and typical of the council. They are pumping our money into it.”

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Kerry Metcalfe, the council’s assistant director for property, said:

“The ground stabilisation work underway involves pumping grout into voids under the ground. These works are expected to be completed later this year and are necessary to make the leisure centre building safe so that it can be refurbished and re-opened for public use.

“The cost for this work so far is £3.4m. Refurbishment work to the leisure centre was paused when the need for ground remediation work was identified and will therefore be finished after completion of the ground stabilisation works.

“The nature of the work is complex and is under constant review, reopening dates will be announced when they are confirmed.”

In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2022, we look at the ongoing saga over Ripon leisure centre, its delays and increasing costs.

The end is in sight for Harrogate Borough Council — but will decisions it made about building a new Ripon swimming pool and refurbishing the existing leisure centre at Dallamires Lane come back to haunt council tax payers after the authority’s abolition in April?

Money already spent on the project stands at £14.5 million and still to be added is £3.5 million for extra ground stabilisation on site and a further £300,000 for a temporary gym due to open in the New Year.

The contract awarded to construction company Willmott Dixon in November 2019 was for delivery of the new pool and refurbished centre in May 2021 at a cost of £10.2 million. But the need for ground stabilisation works ahead of the pool’s construction added to the cost and caused delays.

The subsequent discovery in September 2020 of a ‘void’ close to the leisure centre entrance led to an investigation by engineering consultancy Stantec which identified ground stability issues under the leisure centre and a requirement for extensive remediation works to keep the building in use.

Opening of the temporary gym will enable the 27-year-old centre building to be vacated while work is carried out to shore up its foundations, but HBC has indicated that the need for more funding may be identified when this is underway.

The Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, including a newly-constructed six lane swimming pool, opened in March – more than nine months behind the original schedule

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

Concerns raised by Ripon City Council

Ripon City Council raised concerns about the costs for the additional ground stabilisation and called for an end to the spending on the multi-million pound project and for HBC to fully investigate other options, including building a new leisure centre at a different location where ground conditions are stable.

At its full meeting in October, Independent city council leader Andrew Williams, said the works would take the total spending on the project at Dallamires Lane to £18 million – some £8 million above the original budget.

He added:

“They (HBC) 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.”

Response from Harrogate Borough Council

The call to search for an alternative location for the centre has been rejected by the borough council. A spokesperson for the council, said:

“Building a new leisure centre at another site in Ripon would cost a significant amount of money and would result in two separate facilities to maintain, two sets of running and staffing costs, for example.

“It would also involve purchasing land in a suitable location that we don’t currently have, going through the planning application process and disposing of the existing building safely, all of which would take time and a considerable amount of money. And there is no guarantee that a different site wouldn’t have similar ground conditions.

“Co-location of both wet and dry leisure facilities is also important for increasing and sustaining participation in exercise, as well as optimising revenue and cost recovery.

“The new gym combined with the pool on one site is proving to be extremely popular, and will be further complemented by two new activity studios, sports hall, a spin studio as well as meeting facilities.”

The spokesperson added:

“Our consulting engineer has advised that a do-nothing approach is not advised. And although there is no immediate change in the geological risk profile to the building – that was originally built in 1995 and has provided sport and leisure services for more than 25 years – it is recommended that ground stabilisation works are undertaken to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come.”

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Ripon councillors are calling on North Yorkshire County Council not to sanction spending £3.5 million on remediation works at the city’s leisure centre.

The city council believes that other options should be fully investigated, including building a new centre at a different location where there are stable ground conditions.

The ground floor of the leisure centre has stayed closed due to safety concerns and Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) is to install a temporary gym on the site.

The call from city councillors comes after a report by engineering firm Stantec into the ground stability issues affecting the existing centre’s foundations.

The report, supplied following a Freedom of Information Request made to HBC, ruled out a new location for the centre, but Independent city council leader Andrew Williams, who was elected to NYCC in May, said:

“They (HBC) are 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.”

He 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.

“Instead of throwing good money after bad, we need to call on North Yorkshire Council, who will take over responsibility from April, to put an end to this additional spending and look for a suitable location for a new leisure centre to be built on sound land.”

As part of the devolution process, any major financial decisions by HBC will need to be approved by NYCC’s executive. Permission needs to be given for capital projects costing £1 million and above.

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

Response from Harrogate Borough Council

A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council, said:

“Building a new leisure centre at another site in Ripon would cost a significant amount of money and would result in two separate facilities to maintain, two sets of running and staffing costs, for example.

“It would also involve purchasing land in a suitable location that we don’t currently have, going through the planning application process and disposing of the existing building safely, all of which would take time and a considerable amount of money. And there is no guarantee that a different site wouldn’t have similar ground conditions.

“Co-location of both wet and dry leisure facilities is also important for increasing and sustaining participation in exercise, as well as optimising revenue and cost recovery.

“The new gym combined with the pool on one site is proving to be extremely popular, and will be further complimented by two new activity studios, sports hall, a spin studio as well as meeting facilities.”

The spokesperson, added:

“Our consulting engineer has advised that a do-nothing approach is not advised. And although there is no immediate change in the geological risk profile to the building – that was originally built in 1995 and has provided sport and leisure services for more than 25 years – it is recommended that ground stabilisation works are undertaken to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come.”

The older half of Ripon Leisure Centre would have to permanently close unless newly-approved groundworks costing £3.5 million are carried out, a council official has said.

Trevor Watson, director of economy, environment and housing at Harrogate Borough Council, made the statement at a cabinet meeting last night when councillors agreed to the remedial works on underground voids found at the site.

Mr Watson also stressed that the leisure centre’s new swimming pool – which opened in March – is unaffected by what is planned and will remain open throughout. He said:

“We really do need to seek to address the ground conditions.

“If we chose not to do the work, then the reality is we wouldn’t be reopening the leisure centre.”

Mr Watson added the underground voids are believed to have been present for several years and were not caused by building works for the new pool.

The discovery during the pool construction in 2020 prompted an investigation by an engineering firm which this month revealed the extent of the ground stability issues at the site.

Read more:

• Expert urges council to stop ‘pouring money’ into Ripon leisure centre
• Report reveals extent of ground issues at Ripon Leisure Centre

Stantec found “significantly weak” areas of ground beneath the older half of the leisure centre built in 1995 and also warned that not carrying out groundworks would be “unacceptable from a public safety perspective”.

The works due to start in December mean more costs and delays for the venue’s new pool and refurbishment project which is believed to have cost in excess of £18 million so far.

The original contract awarded to construction company Willmott Dixon was worth £10.2 million for the scheme originally due for completion in May 2021.

The project was approved in 2019 despite some councillors raising “deep concerns” over ground issues at the site where a sinkhole opened up the previous year.

Cllr Swift speaking at last night’s meeting.

Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting, councillor Graham Swift, deputy leader of the council, said it was “good fortune” that the underground voids were discovered before a more serious collapse could have occurred.

He said:

“As a result of the fact that technologies have improved over the last 25 years, we have learnt a lot more about what is under the leisure facility.

“This is actually good fortune as it is good to know now. If we hadn’t had the swimming pool, we wouldn’t have discovered this until a genuine incident.”

Cllr Swift also said it was “very exciting” that a temporary gym is planned for the leisure centre car park during the groundworks which will close parts of the venue for at least 10 months from November.

The temporary gym will cost an additional £300,000, while the pool will remain open.

The leisure centre is reported to now have more than 14,000 members since the pool opened, generating around £34,000 a month which the council said will help offset some of the groundwork costs.

After these works are carried out, the refurbishment is scheduled for completion in spring 2024.

A leading authority on Ripon sinkholes has called on Harrogate Borough Council to ‘get a reality check’ and abandon plans to spend yet more money on the city’s leisure centre.

The council said this month it plans to carry out further ground stability measures at the site, which could take a year.

A report to be considered by HBC’s cabinet on Wednesday, says the work will cost £3.5 million. If approved, this will take the running total on the project to more than £18 million.

The original contract awarded in November 2019 to construction company Willmott Dixon, had a price tag of £10.2 million for delivery of the scheme. The completion date was originally scheduled for May 2021.

Chartered geologist and town planner Dr Alan Thompson, who was the principal author of a major report on the city’s subsidence issues, has said the site will always carry a “significant residual risk” of problems.

Dr Thompson added that by not considering relocating to a new site, the council was “ploughing more and more money into a scheme which is destined to fail”.

He has sent a letter by email to council chief executive Wallace Sampson and all cabinet members expressing his concerns.

But the council’s cabinet looks set to vote in favour of further expenditure on remediation works at the site, after issuing a statement a week ago, in which it said:

“Harrogate Borough Council is set to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come by carrying out ground stabilisation works underneath the original leisure centre.”

The statement added:

“Since the leisure centre was first built in 1995, there has been a monumental improvement in engineering technology to assess ground conditions. The contractor has used this technology to produce a comprehensive report and programme of work, which will be provided to the cabinet.

“If approved by the cabinet on 17 August, the investment project is due to start in the autumn. Once the stabilisation works are complete – anticipated to be the following autumn – the first floor of the original leisure centre will reopen.”

The council’s view is considerably at odds with Dr Thompson’s opinion on the situation.

Stantec report finally revealed

The chartered geologist and town planner, whose comprehensive 1996 Ripon gypsum report was funded jointly by central government and Harrogate Borough Council, has spoken out, after studying detailed reports completed in June by consultants Stantec into ground and structural conditions at the leisure centre site.

Ripon Leisure Centre

The reports, which were obtained following a Freedom of Information request to the council by Ripon resident and chartered engineer Stanley Mackintosh, were supplied to Dr Thompson, who said the documents:

“Have confirmed in great detail what was already known: that the leisure centre was built on very unstable land.

“They have also brought into sharp focus just how unstable it is, with the piled foundations deteriorating at an alarming rate, as a direct consequence of the ongoing nature of the subsidence processes.

“These findings have substantial implications in terms of the costs of further investigation and remediation, adding to those which have already been incurred.

“Disturbingly, however, the remediation which is being proposed — similar to that which has already been implemented beneath the new pool — cannot resolve the underlying cause of the problem: that of ongoing gypsum dissolution at depths of around 40 metres beneath the site.

“However much money is poured into this site, there will always be a significant ‘residual risk’ because of the unresolved problem of dissolution.”

Dr Thompson added:

“Astonishingly, the option of relocation has been excluded from consideration, for the stated reason that it is “not considered by Harrogate Borough Council to offer a more cost-effective approach”.

“By not allowing that option to even be considered, Harrogate Borough Council has blatantly tilted the balance in favour of ploughing more and more money into a scheme which is destined to fail. “

‘Outrageous failure’

In a direct appeal to Mr Sampson, Dr Thompson added:

“I would therefore urge you – and the council – to get a ‘reality check’ on what is going on here – in particular, the council’s outrageous failure to benchmark the escalating costs against the option of relocation.

“At the very least, proper, professional and independent consideration needs to be given to the concept of relocating the leisure centre and the new pool to an alternative site which is not affected by gypsum-related subsidence.

“Only by doing that, and by factoring the residual risk of staying at Camp Close into the equation, can the true cost-effectiveness of the options be properly compared.”

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The Stray Ferret put Dr Thompson’s concerns to Harrogate Borough Council.

In response, a council spokesperson said: 

“Our consulting engineer has previously stated that in their professional opinion a do-nothing approach is not advised. And although there is no immediate change in the geological risk profile to the building – that was originally built in 1995 and has provided sport and leisure services for more than 25 years – it is recommended that ground stabilisation works are undertaken.

“Therefore, in order to ensure people in Ripon can keep fit and active for years to come, we plan on carrying out these necessary ground stabilisation works in the coming months.

“We’d also like to reaffirm these works are underneath the original leisure centre and not underneath the new six-lane 25metre swimming, which has had the necessary foundations in place.”

A report has revealed the extent of ground stability issues at Ripon Leisure Centre, which are set to cost £3.5 million to repair.

The findings from engineering firm Stantec spell out more bad news for the venue’s new swimming pool and refurbishment project, which is already over budget and more than a year overdue.

The new pool opened this year, but plans for a larger gym and exercise studios have been delayed after an underground void was discovered at the site.

This prompted an investigation by Stantec which has now revealed evidence of multiple voids and “significantly weak” areas of ground beneath the older half of the leisure centre, which was built in 1995.

It has warned that not carrying out remedial repairs would be “unacceptable from a public safety perspective”. The report said:

“These investigations have revealed that disturbed and brecciated bedrock is not isolated to the north western corner of the building.

“It is envisaged that structural strengthening would likely require remedial works on not only the ground floor of the building, but also in areas of the already renovated top floor of the building.”

The existing leisure centre adjoins the new pool

Ripon is susceptible to sinkholes because it lies on a layer of water-soluble rock called gypsum.

In 2018, a sinkhole opened up outside the leisure centre before Harrogate Borough Council approved the new pool plans a year later despite some councillors raising “deep concerns” over ground stability issues.

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

However, the repairs required are now proving costly and causing long delays for the refurbishment project.

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Stantec’s report said foundations were not driven deep enough into the ground when the leisure centre was built 27 years ago and that it remains unclear why this happened as “many critical records” are missing.

It added that if the foundations were to fail because of this, it was unlikely to be “catastrophic”.

The voids are believed to be part of a “network” of underground holes beneath the leisure centre – some of which were “successfully” repaired during the construction of the new swimming pool.

Grouting – where material is pumped into the ground – is likely to be used again during the repairs, although Stantec added more assessments and monitoring will be required on top of this.

The report said:

“A further programme of structural assessment of the existing building is recommended to understand how the building might be best retrofitted to accommodate the risks of ground collapse.

“Strengthening alone is unlikely to mitigate risks to acceptable levels and would likely need to be adopted in combination with other strategies and require long-term monitoring as the building continues in usage.”

If approved by senior councillors next week, the remedial works would start in December with refurbishment set for completion in spring 2024.

The works would mean the leisure centre would have to partially close for at least 10 months from November.

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

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.

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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The children of Ripon are paying the price for Harrogate Borough Council’s ‘incompetent handling’ of the multi-million pound leisure centre project.

That’s the view of Ripon City Council, which backed a call from Independent leader Andrew Williams for immediate action to make the overgrown playing fields at the Camp Close site useable in time for the summer holidays.

Councillors also called for barriers, restricting access to the bike and skate park on site, to be removed so that proper access is restored. Some fencing has been forced down by young people wanting to use the facility (pictured above).

The centre opened behind schedule and over budget in March.

The council also agreed on Monday evening, to make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to HBC for a key report to be made public to discover the financial liability that council tax payers face for remedial work to leisure centre foundations.

The report, which was prepared by engineering consultancy Stantec,  was received by HBC more than two months ago, prior to the local elections in May, but has yet to be presented to the council’s cabinet.

Overgrown and yet to be landscaped, the playing fields.

Cllr Williams, who was elected to represent Ripon at parish and North Yorkshire level, claimed:

“There is a clear attempt to suppress this report and literally kick it into the leisure centre’s long grass.

“But the public has a right to know the full financial consequences, before the successor authority has to deal with the mess of HBC’s incompetent handling of the project from the outset, starting with their decision to build on a site with a known history of ground instability.”

What was promised and what has been delivered?

The £10.2 million contract signed with construction company Willmott Dixon in November 2019, was for delivery of the new pool, a refurbished leisure centre, creation of a children’s playground, landscaping of the site, reinstatement of a football pitch, provision of parking for vehicles and bicycles and installation of electric car charging points.

To date, the pool, children’s playground, parking facilities and charging points, have been delivered, but only the gym on the upper floor of the leisure centre is open, with activities, such as spin classes relocated to the Hugh Ripley Hall.

The agreed completion date for the contract was May 2021, but delays caused by ground instability meant extensive grouting (injection of concrete) had to take place which held up the opening of the pool until March of this year.

Reluctance to release the Stantec report

Following an initial inspection by Stantec of a ‘void’ near the entrance to the leisure centre, discovered during construction work in September 2020, the consultancy was appointed to carry out a detailed investigation of the foundations.

In April, chartered engineer and Ripon resident Stanley Mackintosh, submitted an FOI request to HBC, seeking release of the Stantec report, but despite repeated attempts to obtain a copy, he still awaits their decision on whether or not the report will be released to him.

Escalating costs

Mr Mackintosh, pointed out:

“The known running total for the project as of September 2021, was standing at £14,590,665 and In my opinion, considerable additional monies will be needed to carry out the extremely complex  works.

“This is because the foundations will need to be thickened from 200mm to 750mm, and superstructure modifications will be required to improve the structural stiffness of the building.

“It’s a very costly exercise to carry out under an existing building and even then, long-term sustainability cannot be guaranteed, because of the on-going underground gypsum dissolution that will continue to occur.”

He pointed out:

“Ground instability will be a constant feature in this area of Ripon, as evidenced by the opening up of a sinkhole in February 2018 on the leisure centre car park and the discovery of a further sinkhole close to the centre’s entrance in September 2020.

Chartered civil engineer Stanley Mackintosh, pictured outside the site before the swimming pool opened

“The actual remediation costs will only be known when the findings of the Stantec report are released and I have been attempting, under FOI legislation, to obtain a copy of that report, but the council appears reluctant to let me have it.”

“This stonewalling is a classic case of kicking the can down the road, because the council knows that there will be significant financial implications for council tax payers, long after HBC’s affairs have been taken over by the new North Yorkshire Council next April.”

What does Harrogate Borough Council have to say?

HBC has confirmed that the Stantec report has not been presented to its cabinet members.

A spokesperson, said in a statement:

“The report, and recommendations, will be presented to the meeting of the cabinet in due course.”

The spokesperson also confirmed that the council considers that remedial works that will need to be carried out under the centre are a financially viable proposition.

Asked when the landscaping works and restoration of the football pitch will be carried out, so that children can use the area for recreation once more, the spokesperson didn’t give any specific dates, but said:

“This work will be completed towards the end of the investment project at the leisure and wellbeing centre.”

Read more:

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• Sinkhole experts urge councillors to consider new site for Ripon pool
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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.