The Mayor of Ripon and city council leader are demanding the reopening of Spa Baths.
With the completion date for Ripon’s new swimming pool delayed until November, councillors Eamon Parkin and Andrew Williams, are leading the call.
They visited the Grade II listed building with members of Ripon Civic Society on Friday and discovered the pool full of warm water and the heating on.
Councillor Parkin told the Stray Ferret:
“Though the building has been closed for more than a year because of the covid pandemic, it appeared to be in good shape.
“I can see no reason why it shouldn’t be back open from 12 April, along with other pools in the Harrogate district.”
Ripon is set to be without a swimming pool until November.
He added:
“Heaven knows how much it has cost to keep the heating on while the baths have been closed to the public.
“It is clear from what we saw, that council tax payers have been paying for a facility they have been unable to use.
“The pool needs to be back open from the moment that the lockdown on leisure facilities lifts.”
They were shown around by an agent from Sanderson Weatherall, which has been appointed by Harrogate Borough Council to handle the disposal of the property.
The fact-finding visit was arranged after Ripon City Council voted unanimously to keep the building in public ownership for community use.
Cllr Williams said:
“We turned up wearing our coats expecting to see the pool drained, but were surprised to find it in an operational condition.
“In some respects it was quite shocking – the heat was stifling.
“We were also surprised to discover from the agent that there is no set asking price or a guide price for the building.”
Asked about a potential reopening of Spa Baths, Councillor Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said:
“That has still to be decided.”
Cllr Lumley confirmed the Hydro swimming pool in Harrogate and Nidderdale Pool in Pateley Bridge will be reopening in April.
To comply with social distancing requirements, both will have a limited number of users.
He added:
“We are getting to a position with the roadmap, that enables us to reopen facilities, but we are limited to what we can open.”
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The initial focus will be on the reopening of the Hydro and Nidderdale pools.
Cllr Lumley said:
“We have to look on the other pools with more consideration and we can’t give a yes or no on Spa Baths at the moment.
“Decisions are being made on a weekly, if not daily basis.”
Ripon pool’s final cost ‘not yet known’, says council
Harrogate Borough Council has said it still does not know the final cost of Ripon’s new swimming pool.
In response to a second Freedom of Information request about the project from the Stray Ferret, the council said.
“The information you request is not held by Harrogate Borough Council because the final costs are not yet known.”
A £10.2 million contract was awarded to construction company Willmott Dixon before work started on site in November 2019.
The 17-month contact was for delivery of a six-lane pool, along with refurbishment of the existing Ripon Leisure Centre on the Dallamires Lane site.
That contract specified a completion date of May 21 this year, but a press release issued by HBC said the project will now be completed in November.
Councillor Stanley Lumley, HBC’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said the project had been ‘slightly delayed’ by covid.
In a press release dated November 13, he added:
“Ground work, known as grouting, is nearing completion.”
Grouting is a method used to stabilise unstable ground.
Read more:
- Additional Ripon swimming pool cost ‘confidential’
- Call for urgent action to safeguard Ripon’s Spa Baths
Ground stability issues
Sixteen months before the council approved the swimming pool development, a sinkhole opened up in the leisure centre car park.
Following the incident in February 2018, which saw the car park barriered off and closed, the council issued this statement:
“The sinkhole will not affect the project to construct a new pool for Ripon. We are still waiting for the structural engineer’s report, which will influence the design of the new building.
“We’ve always known about the potential of sinkholes on the site which is why we’ve been carrying out tests to understand what foundations may be required.”
At a June 2019 planning meeting, three members of the eight-member committee abstained rather than support the project, after ‘deep concerns’ were expressed about the sinkhole risk in an area of Ripon known for widespread gypsum deposits.
HBC’s response to first FOI request
In the first FOI request, the Stray Ferret asked HBC how much of the contract costs related to ground remediation prior to construction.
The council was also asked if additional fees are payable to Willmott Dixon for extension of the project.
HBC responded, saying:
“Additional ‘site preliminaries’ will be payable to the main contractor as a result of the extension of the construction contract.”
The council added:
Additional construction costs of Ripon swimming pool ‘confidential’“A public authority may refuse to disclose information to the extent that its disclosure would adversely affect the confidentiality of commercial or industrial information where such confidentiality is provided by law to protect a legitimate economic interest.”
Harrogate Borough Council has said additional costs caused by the delay in completing Ripon’s new swimming pool and leisure centre refurbishment, cannot be revealed due to commercial confidentiality.
Construction firm Willmott Dixon was awarded a £10.2 million contract last year to build the pool and refurbish the leisure centre.
The scheme involves creating a six-lane pool, a health suite, two dance studios, a spin studio and new play areas outside.
The council approved the initiative in June 2019.
Concerns about sinkholes
16 months before the council approved the swimming pool development a sinkhole opened up in the leisure centre car park.
Following the incident in February 2018, which saw the car park barriered off and closed, the council issued this statement:
“The sinkhole will not affect the project to construct a new pool for Ripon. We are still waiting for the structural engineer’s report, which will influence the design of the new building. We’ve always known about the potential of sinkholes on the site which is why we’ve been carrying out tests to understand what foundations may be required.”
At the June 2019 planning meeting, three members of the eight-member committee abstained rather than support the project, after ‘deep concerns’ were expressed about the sinkhole risk in an area of Ripon known for widespread gypsum deposits.
Masham councillor Nigel Simms voted against the application because he believed ground stability issues made it an untenable use of public money.
The city’s gypsum problem was highlighted in a major technical report commissioned by the Department of the Environment in 1996, titled ‘Assessment of Subsidence Arising from Gypsum Dissolution (with Particular Reference to Ripon, North Yorkshire)’
Work started on the Camp Close site, at Dallamires Lane, on 25 November 2019 and the 17-month project was scheduled for completion by 21 May 2021. It is now due to be completed in November 2021.
What’s caused the delay?
Councillor Stanley Lumley, the council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said the project had been ‘slightly delayed’ by COVID-19.
Construction on the site was halted for five weeks during the first lockdown and did not stop during the second lockdown.
In May, Willmott Dixon operations director Nick Corrigan told the Stray Ferret that approximately 30 workers, including management, had been back on site since 30 April.
In Cllr Lumley’s 13 November press release, he said: ‘Ground work, known as grouting, is nearing completion.’
Grouting is a method used to stabilise unstable ground.
The Stray Ferret submitted a Freedom of Information request seeking details about the cost of ground works on the site.
The council said it holds the information but it was exempt from disclosure. It did, however confirm that there would be extra cost, saying:
“Additional ‘site preliminaries’ will be payable to the main contractor as a result of the extension of the construction contract.”
The council, added:
“A public authority may refuse to disclose information to the extent that its disclosure would adversely affect the confidentiality of commercial or industrial information where such confidentiality is provided by law to protect a legitimate economic interest.”
A sign saying that Ripon’s new swimming pool and refurbished leisure centre will be ‘opening in Summer 2021’ was still in place this week.
Regarding questions about the cost of ground remediation, the council said:
“In this instance, specific information regarding the amount of the contract committed to ground stabilisation could be a disincentive to provide pricing for public sector opportunities which could then lead to a lack of future competition which could increase prices and represent worse value for money within the sector.
“The council therefore considers maintaining the exception outweighs the public interest in disclosing it.”
Read more:
- When did work resume on Ripon’s leisure development site?
- Closure of Ripon’s only department store
- Will a Ripon home win our Christmas decorations competition?
Women to swim English Channel for charity
Two women from the Harrogate district are to swim the English Channel this weekend for charity.
Andrea Stark, from Harrogate, and Jacqui Hargrave, from Knaresborough, have been open water swimming together for seven years. But this will be the duo’s biggest challenge yet.
They are part of a four-person relay team in which each person will raise money for a different cause. Andrea is raising money for the mental health charity Samaritans. Jacqui is swimming for Harrogate-based Saint Michael’s Hospice, which supported her best friend in her final days.
The swim normally takes 15 hours and the rules state each person can only swim one hour before another member of the team takes over. The team has to tackle currents and find their way around shipping lanes – so the swim could be up to 30 miles long.
The team of four are set to embark on the English Channel Challenge on Friday.
Andrea, a nurse at Harrogate Hospital, said:
“We’re beginning to let ourselves get excited but it’s still all very dependent on the weather. We are definitely ready, we’ve done lots of training and swam at Whitby to get used to the current and the temperature.
“It’s taken us 7 years to build up to this. We love it so much and we prefer the open water and the feeling it gives – you’d be amazed at the positive impact it has on your mental health. Our families have been amazing too. There will be times when our bodies hurt but that’s when we’ll think of those charities and it’ll keep us going.”
To support Andrea, click here.
Jacqui, who writes an open water swimming blog, said:
“I am feeling more confident now, I really want to get it done – we all do! It’ll be invigorating and a challenge for us but we’ve done all the preparation and we’ve planned it all out.
“Under a quarter of people succeed but we are all very determined to accomplish this. Our driver is very experienced and understands the water so we’re in safe hands. It’s just about pushing ourselves against the harsh currents and of course the cold. The charities need their work promoting especially with all the uncertainty.”
To support Jacqui, click here.
Read more:
- An ice cream shop in Knaresborough has raised money for the local charity, Frank’s Fund.
- Former Ashville pupil will attempt to swim the channel this month.
The women are due to enter the water on Friday morning but the weather could postpone it by a few days. Their swim has already been postponed once following lockdown.
Richard Powell, a deputy health centre manager from Chesterfield, and Leanne Davis, a paramedic from Rotherham, make up the rest of the relay team.
Discussions have been held between the council and trade unions over plans to transfer sport and leisure services to a private company.
Unison has this morning confirmed that it has met with Harrogate Borough Council representatives to discuss the proposal to form a Local Authority Controlled Company (LACC) to run its leisure facilities.
Unison branch secretary David Houlgate said:
“We are thankful that the Council is now talking to us and the meeting yesterday was helpful. We are also pleased that the Council has let us have some written detail too. We need to take a good look at that but already we can make the following observations:
“Clearly the council has ambitious plans for new and upgraded facilities and we cautiously welcome this but it has to be remembered that sport and leisure is a discretionary service so we would not wish to see high spending in this area impact on other, more critical, services elsewhere which could put jobs at risk.”
As well as the council’s six six leisure centres and its Active Health service, the plans could include transferring Little Explorers Day Nursery, the Turkish Baths, and community centres in Jennyfield, Fairfax and Knaresborough to the LACC.
According to a report set to be considered by HBC’s cabinet next week, transferring services stands to save £222,000 in business rates and £76,000 in VAT, with improved financial performance of £130,000 per year. There would be additional costs of £144,000, leaving savings of £284,000 per year, in the council’s figures.
The council has projected an increase in revenue of around £500,000 – equivalent to 10 percent of its current income – as a result of being run by a single-focus company.
The report also states that the council commissioned four studies into its leisure services in and alternative ways of delivering them, in 2018. It adds:
“SLL’s final report was presented to Cabinet on December 16, 2019 and as a result cabinet agreed in principle to progress the creation of a Company to run its sport and leisure facilities and services.”
Discussions between HBC and unions this week follow a public disagreement between them. Unison said on Monday it was disappointed that the council had failed to make any contact with its members – a claim which HBC branded “ridiculous”.
- Unions speak out about the lack of communication on plans which have “no overwhelming public support”
- HBC tells unions: “To expect a running commentary… is unrealistic”
The council consulted with residents last month about the proposals. In the report to cabinet, the results show 46 percent of the 433 people who responded either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the plans. Twenty-seven percent agreed or strongly agreed, while 27 percent neither agreed nor disagreed.
“We have seen the council report and it would appear that this decision was actually taken last year, so we do wonder what the point of the recent resident’s survey was. Having now seen the survey responses it does seem to confirm our view that there is not much support from the 433 residents who responded, for sport and leisure to be run by a LACC.”
The union has welcomed measures to protect employees, including keeping them in the local government pension scheme. However, it raised concerns about changing terms and conditions after the LACC is formed, and the possibility that an outside provider will be found to run services in future.
The proposals to create the LACC will be put before the council’s cabinet when it meets online next Wednesday, June 17.