Yorkshire Water urges caution around reservoirs over Bank HolidayYorkshire Water is urging visitors to their reservoirs to act with caution ahead of future bank holidays.
They are asking people to follow the Countryside Code and not to take risks by using disposable barbeques or swimming in the water.
A number of moorland fires in 2022 have been linked to disposable barbeques.
Gaynor Carpenter, head of land and property at Yorkshire Water, said:
“With half-term upon us and a number of Bank Holiday weekends ahead, it is important that visitors to our reservoirs do not take risks by using disposable barbecues or entering the water. We’ve recently seen the very real dangers fires caused by barbecues pose to our moorland, which can take hundreds of years to recover.”
Disposable barbeques are not permitted on any of Yorkshire Water’s sites, and some of its areas are covered by Public Space Protection Orders (PSPO’s), which means people could face on the spot fines if they are found using one.
Firefighters recently battled a large fire at Brimham Rocks, with the fire service urging people to be careful about putting out cigarettes and barbeques.
Read more:
Gaynor added:
“It is also important visitors to our sites remain vigilant around the water, particularly parents with children who may be tempted to enter the water.
“We work hard to ensure our sites can be enjoyed by visitors from the region and beyond and it is important people leave the sites as they found them. Following the Countryside Code and ensuring to take litter home, keep dogs on leads and park considerately will all help to make visits to our reservoirs enjoyable for everyone.”
If visitors do see someone in the water who requires help or a fire, call 999 and ask for the fire service immediately.
Harrogate Hydro to close on Friday for £11m refurbishmentThe Hydro swimming pool in Harrogate will close for nine months on Friday ahead of a £11.8m refurbishment.
The facility will get a two-storey extension as well as a new entrance, cafe and reception area.
There will also be new diving board equipment, a new fitness suite and the changing areas will be upgraded.
A computer generated image of how the Hydro will look.
The existing gas boilers will be replaced with air source heat pumps and 250 solar panels, as well as new metering and energy monitoring and control systems.
The pool is run by Brimhams Active on behalf of Harrogate Borough Council.
It means until January, the nearest available council-run pools will be in Starbeck, Knaresborough, Patelely Bridge and Ripon. Opening times are available on the Brimhams Active website.
Read more:
The project will be carried out in phases, with the refurbished pool hall and changing rooms re-opening in January 2023 and the ‘dry side’ activity space by April 2023.
How the new Knaresborough Pool will look.
Work to build the new Knaresborough Pool will start on April 26. The current facility will remain open.
Wallace Sampson, Harrogate Borough Council’s chief executive, said:
“This investment at both the Hydro in Harrogate and a new facility in Knaresborough follows our investment at the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre in Ripon and shows our commitment to providing first-class leisure facilities for Harrogate district residents.”
Harrogate Hydro renovations a long-term gain, says diving clubHarrogate District Diving Club has said the looming nine-month closure of Harrogate Hydro will be worth the short-term disruption.
The club, which has more than 50 members and helped produce Olympic champion Jack Laugher, faces the prospect of not being able to return to its home pool until next year. The Hydro is due to close for major refurbishment on April 8.
Some divers will train at other venues, including Shipley diving pool. Others will stop training altogether until the Hydro reopens. Since the announcement of the Hydro’s closure two divers have left the club.
Divers can also use Jennyfield Styan Community Centre for dry land sessions using a full size diving board. These sessions allow divers to dive off the board onto a crash mat.
Harrogate Hydro, Jennyfield Drive.
The diving boards have not been in use since November 2020 due to structural problems.
The renovation work will include new diving facilities at the same heights as before. Club chair Leanne Jalland said:
“We welcome the closure and renovations, whilst it is not ideal to be away from the pool in the short-term. The current diving facilities were at the end of their life and needed to be replaced.
“A little short-term disruption without a pool while the new diving facilities are being rebuilt is worth it because the new facilities secure the future of diving in Harrogate for a few more decades.”
Ms Jalland added the club had been preparing for a loss in funds due to the work and had secured funding from Sport England to fund hiring space at other diving venues.
Read more:
She said:
“We are passionate about introducing more children in our community to diving and while the Hydro is closed that will not stop. Considering that during the start of the pandemic we only had a dozen divers left, we’ve managed to grow the club considerably during a difficult time period with limited facilities and resources.
“So imagine what we can do with our new facility. We can’t wait for next year, the future is looking bright for our club.”
The £11.8 million refurbishment will give the Hydro a new two-storey extension, entrance, cafe and reception area.
There will also be a new fitness suite and the changing areas will be upgraded.
Mark Tweedie, managing director of Brimhams Active, which Harrogate Borough Council set up last year to run its leisure facilities, said the plan was to reopen the pool first in nine months time.
Ripon’s long-awaited new pool opens its doorsRipon’s new swimming pool and partly-refurbished leisure centre, officially opened its doors early this morning.
The reaction of the first swimmers through the door at 6.30 was unanimously positive.
Comments included, ‘superb’ ‘fabulous’ ‘absolutely great’ and ‘It’s really exciting.’
Named in honour of a history-making Olympic diving champion and local hero, who learnt to swim in Ripon’s Spa Baths at the age of 3, the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre is designed to be a facility fit for the 21st century.
Jack Laugher MBE , is on the sign that greets swimmers and gym users when they enter the centre
The pool contains almost half a million litres of water
The centre, along with other swimming and leisure facilities across the district, is being operated on behalf of the council by Brimhams Active.
The people of Ripon have been waiting for this day – the project to build the pool ran nine months behind schedule and cost approximately £5 million more than its original £10.2 million budget.
The Changing Places toilet at the new Ripon pool
The charges for members of the public to use the new pool, have not increased from the entry fees charged at Spa Baths.
A swimming session for an adult costs £5.10 with children aged 3 to 16 paying £2.70 and complimentary entry for children under 3. The adult concession rate also remains at £3.70.
Centre operations manager Ben Cutting, was on duty with his Brimhams Active team to welcome the early-bird swimmers
Containing almost half a million litres of water, the six-lane pool can accommodate 108 swimmers at a time and leading-edge AngelEye technology has been installed as an added safety measure, should anybody get into difficulty during a swim.
Accessibility features are an integral part of the design, from the inclusion of wider doors, steps for entry at the shallow end of the pool and the provision of Changing Places toilets in both the pool and at the leisure centre.
The gym area
The ground floor of the centre remains closed, awaiting the remediation measures required before the whole of the building can be used, but the upper floor is equipped with an array of top-of-the-range health and fitness equipment – from treadmills to cycling machines that can link into digital media.
There is also a sauna room that can be used by swimmers and gym goers and outside, the well-equipped Dallamires Children’s Play area, which opened on Monday, is already proving popular.
Read more:
£17m Knaresborough Leisure Centre approvedPlans for a £17m leisure centre in Knaresborough have been unanimously approved by councillors in what will mark the town centre’s biggest building project in decades.
Harrogate Borough Council yesterday passed its own plans for the new facility to be built over a play area at Fysche Field before the existing Knaresborough Pool just metres away is demolished to make way for a larger car park and new play equipment.
The new leisure centre will have a six-lane pool and exercise studios, and has been hailed by the council as a “modern and fit-for-purpose” facility for the town’s growing population.
Environmental impact
It could be built by the end of 2023 and will also be powered by air source heat pumps and solar panels.
However, some concerns have been raised over the environmental impact of demolishing a large building to replace it with another.
Bill Rigby, chairman of Knaresborough Civic Society, told today’s planning committee meeting that the project should be scrapped in favour of rival proposals for a major upgrade of the existing pool.
He said:
“Rejecting an extension in favour of a new build frustrates the nation’s and district’s own attempts to meet the challenge of a climate emergency.
“We are at a pivotal moment in our history as a community, nation and citizens of the world.
“The proposal fails to respond appropriately at all of these levels.”
Mr Rigby also criticised a council-run survey on where to build the new leisure centre as “flawed” and added residents were never asked if they believed there was a need for it at all.
‘Low carbon priority’
But Jonathan Dunk, chief development officer at the council, described the 30-year-old Knaresborough Pool as “at the end of its working life” and said more swimming space is needed. He said:
“We need to renew rather than refurbish the existing facility because it is old and there is inadequate water space.
“We also want to upgrade to make the most of the energy performance of the new building.
“We have chosen to invest more money and develop to a higher, excellent standard because addressing low-carbon is a high priority for the council.”
Read more:
Today’s vote of approval comes after the council confirmed the project budget had increased from £13million to £17million due to increased material and labour costs, and extra spending on safety equipment.
All nine members of the planning committee voted in favour of the project which was described as a “wise investment” for the town.
Knaresborough mayor councillor Christine Willoughby said:
“I’m very pleased to support this new facility.
“This is the perfect site as I have always felt the pool needs to be in the centre of Knaresborough.
“In a town with a river, it is really important that our children learn to swim.
“We have had too many fatalities in the river over the years.”
Other locations previously considered for the leisure centre included Knaresborough House, Hay-a-Park, Conyngham Hall and a plot of land at Halfpenny Lane.
Alliance Leisure
Today’s decision will now be followed by a cabinet meeting on Wednesday when councillors will be asked to approve a £28million contract for Bristol-based firm Alliance Leisure to build the new leisure centre at Fysche Field and separate plans for the Harrogate Hydro.
The proposals for a two-storey extension of the Hydro were approved in October 2021 and include demolishing the existing entrance and replacing it with a larger cafe and reception area, as well as a new fitness suite.
Meanwhile, the council last week announced that Ripon’s new multi-million-pound swimming pool is finally set to open on Wednesday after months of costly delays.
The project is nine months overdue and £4million over budget, and refurbishment works on the adjoining Ripon Leisure Centre are still underway after the discovery of an underground void prompted the need for an investigation.
Brimhams Active
All 11 council-run leisure venues across the Harrogate district are now being run by Brimhams Active – a council-owned company which launched last year and aims to save around half a million pound a year.
Brimhams Active was hailed as a “new vision for the future” sports and leisure services when it launched last year, although there are now questions over what will happen to the company when the council is replaced by a new North Yorkshire Council in April 2023.
New Ripon playground gets thumbs-up on openingA new children’s play area in Ripon opened for families today.
The Dallamires Playground is part of the city’s new £15m Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre on Dallamires Lane. The pool is set to open on Wednesday.
The playground seems to have gone down well on social media, with posts from parents saying it looks like “so much fun” and “wonderful for little kids”.
The play area can be accessed from a public footpath off Knaresborough Road.
Three-year-old Lottie (pictured in our main image), was one of the first children to play on one of the slides.
Her mum Kim said:
“it’s a lovely new play area for families to bring children to from this part of the city.”
Read more:
£13 million Knaresborough Leisure Centre plans to go to vote on MondayPlans for a £13 million leisure centre in Knaresborough will go to the vote on Monday after a decision was previously delayed due to a “technical error”.
Harrogate Borough Council’s planning committee was recommended to approve the controversial plans last week, but an error meant residents were not invited to speak at a meeting.
The council apologised and has now rescheduled a decision for 2pm on Monday.
Residents and campaign groups are expected to speak against the plans which include the demolition of the existing Knaresborough Swimming Pool at Fysche Field and building the new leisure centre over a play area to the rear.
Several concerns have been raised over the environmental impacts of demolishing a large building to replace it with another, as well as whether the new facility is needed.
Knaresborough Civic Society has repeatedly called on councillors to reject the plans in favour of rival proposals from the ‘Not on Fysche Field’ campaign group which has produced designs to upgrade the existing 30-year-old swimming pool.
A civic society spokesperson said:
“Knaresborough Civic Society is extremely concerned that the planning committee is in danger of making a decision on the say so of council officers that will result in unnecessary and unequivocal damage to the environment and the gateway to the town.
“On behalf of future generations, members of the planning committee must show the necessary governance and be prepared to take full responsibility for the outcome of such a huge decision.”
Read more
A public consultation on five potential locations for the proposed leisure centre was held in 2020 and referred to locating the facility “on the site of the existing pool”.
However, it was only several months after this that the council revealed it wants to build the leisure centre over a play area to the rear.
The other locations previously considered included Knaresborough House, Hay-a-Park, Conyngham Hall and a plot of land at Halfpenny Lane.
The council has hailed its proposals for Fysche Field as an opportunity to provide a “modern” and “fit-for-purpose” facility for Knaresborough’s growing population.
And if approved, the council said the new leisure centre could be built by the end of 2023.
Monday’s decision will be followed by a cabinet meeting on Wednesday when councillors will be asked to approve a £28million contract for Bristol-based firm Alliance Leisure to build the new leisure centre in Knaresborough and refurbish Harrogate Hydro.
This comes after plans for a two-storey extension of the Hydro were approved in October 2021.
These proposals include demolishing the existing entrance and replacing it with a larger reception area on the ground floor, as well as a new fitness suite on the first floor.
Ripon pool and playgrounds will not be open for half-termRipon’s multi-million pound swimming pool will not be open on time for next week’s half-term school holidays.
It and the new Dallamires children’s play area, created on site as part of the £15 million leisure development, are now expected to open next month, according to staff on site.
The play area, which can be accessed from a public footpath off Knaresborough Road, remains fenced off. A sign on the fencing says it ‘will open as soon as possible in the new year’.
The pool was due to be ready nine months ago and the project is currently £4m over budget.
In a further setback for parents and grandparents looking for places to take children next week, the Ripon City Council-owned Quarry Moor playground will not be reopening for the time being.
Long-term delay
The six-lane pool was originally due to be completed in May last year for an opening in the summer.
But ground stability issues on site that required remediation caused the initial delay and saw Harrogate Borough Council announce that the opening was going to be in November.
A weather-beaten sign at the Dallamires Play Area says it would open in ‘as soon as possible in the new year’.
A planned opening date of December 8 was subsequently announced but a fault discovered during testing of the pool’s lining, saw the council say that the opening would take place in January.
When asked if the pool would be open during the half-term holidays, a Harrogate Borough Council spokesman replied:
“A date hasn’t been confirmed yet.”
However, a woman who was hoping to take her grandchildren there next week contacted the Stray Ferret and said:
“I went to the leisure centre this week and was told by two members of staff that the pool would be opening at the start of next month.
“This is frustrating, because I had also visited the leisure centre in January to check if the pool would be open for half-term and was told by staff that it would open either later that month or the beginning of February.”
The grandmother, who asked to remain anonymous, added:
“I don’t want to make a fuss, the staff at the centre were very helpful, but it was disappointing when I also asked about the new children’s playground and was told it would be opening at the same time as the pool.”
Quarry Moor playground still closed
Half a mile from the pool, the Quarry Moor playground, which closed in September because of rat infestation, still remains shut.
The Quarry Moor playground will also be closed next week
Ripon City Council leader Andrew Williams, said:
“We apologise for the fact that the playground won’t be open.
“With the vermin issue under control, we had hoped that it could be back in use for the half-term holiday, but the condition of the play equipment has deteriorated.
“We need to carry out further inspection to assess if it is economical to carry out repairs, or go for a complete refurbishment with the installation of new equipment and aim to reopen in time for the Easter holidays.”
Last year, the city council set aside £70,000 for refurbishment of the playground and Cllr Williams said that additional sources of grant funding were also being explored.
Read more:
Brimhams Active defends its stance on £8,000 increase for use of Ripon poolThe managing director of Brimhams Active, which operates Harrogate Borough Council’s leisure centres, has defended the company’s stance on a proposed £8,000 price increase for one of its users.
This has, however, led to a clash with Ripon City Council leader, Andrew Williams.
Volunteer-run Ripon City Swimming Club (RCSC), which has been teaching children to swim for more than 100 years, said it had been priced out of using Ripon’s new swimming pool.
The club, which had previously held weekly sessions at now-closed Spa Baths at an annual cost of £4,500, told the Stray Ferret it was ‘mortified’ by a price hike to £12,500 per annum for use of the city’s newly-constructed facility, when it opens later this year,
Cllr Williams described the increase as ‘disgusting.’
This, in turn, prompted Brimhams Active managing director Mark Tweedie to contact the council leader by email, in which he said:
“For commercial, safety and quality assurance reasons we are mandated to be the sole provider of swimming lessons in the facilities we operate on behalf of the local authority.
“In this regard we have had numerous meetings and correspondence with RCSC over a significant period of time to try and come to an arrangement that would allow the club to continue to hire the pool with an adjusted offer that meets set standards and does not duplicate the Brimhams Active Learn to Swim programme.”
Read more:
In the email exchange, which has been seen by the Stray Ferret, Mr Tweedie added:
“The Brimhams Active Learn to Swim programme is accredited by Swim England (the governing body for swimming). It teaches swimmers how to be competent and confident in the water through a recognised quality assured framework.
“Young people joining the scheme have the added value benefit of free access to Brimhams Active operated pools during any general swim sessions providing more opportunities to develop their swimming and love for swimming.”
‘We need to operate commercially’
He added:
“We have offered to work with and directly support the club to enable them to adjust their offer so they can continue to help young people develop their swimming without duplicating the Brimhams Active Learn to Swim programme.”
“Working with us to adjust their offer would enable the club to continue to hire the pool at the same rate they were previously paying. However, should the club want to maintain their current offer we have provided the option for them to hire the pool at a commercial rate recognising the club would be in effect competing with the Brimhams Active Learn to Swim programme.
“The club would also need to adhere to the same rigorous safety and quality standards as Brimhams Active. The commercial rate is an exclusive rate offered to the club and is based on the true costs of hiring the facility.
“We need to operate commercially in order to cover the operating costs of the facility as well as generate vital funds for the local authority to continue to be able to provide efficient and effective public services.”
‘You need to rethink’
In his response to Mr Tweedie, Cllr Williams, said:
“You state ‘for commercial’ as your first words and that is exactly the problem, you are seeking to use your position to have a monopoly on the way in which children are taught to swim by using only your lessons.
“The Ripon (City) Swimming Club have taught many children how to swim and in a way which is affordable for many hard-pressed families.
“You conclude again with the need to operate commercially. Might I remind you that the land upon which the yet to be opened pool sits was gifted to the children of Ripon for recreational use not for the commercial benefit of a soon to be defunct local authority.
“You need to urgently rethink your approach on this matter.”
Will Ripon’s new pool open this month?An opening date for Ripon’s new swimming pool has still to be announced.
Harrogate Borough Council said on November 26 that the planned opening on December 8 had been postponed to an unspecified date in January. The delay was attributed to a fault in the lining of the pool.
In mid-December, when the council announced the multi-million pound leisure protect would be named the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, in honour of the Olympic diving hero and former Ripon Grammar School student, the council said the pool would be opening “early in the new year”.
But with less than two weeks of January remaining, no opening date has been revealed.
A council spokesman told the Stray Ferret it “should have further news in the coming days”.
Ripon has been without a public swimming pool for more than two months since Spa Baths closed on November 7.
The new pool and leisure centre has been beset by historic issues of ground stability that affect the Camp Close site at Dallamires Lane. It was originally due to be completed in May 2021 and cost £10.2 million, but it is currently eight months overdue and £4 million over budget.
Read more:
Conservative councillor Stanley Lumley, the council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, which operates the district’s leisure centres, said at the time the fault was found:
“New swimming pools go through a significant amount of testing to ensure they are safe to use for years to come and provide the best experience for the customer.
“During the testing period of the new six-lane 25metre swimming pool at the leisure centre on Dallamires Road in Ripon, an issue was identified with the lining of the pool.
“We understand this is disappointing but would like to reassure you we are working as quickly and as thoroughly as possible to open the pool as soon as we can.”