Significant renovations and upgrades to a leisure centre that will support residents to be active and stay healthy have reached their final stages.
A series of extensive structural and refurbishment works have been ongoing at Active North Yorkshire Ripon – The Jack Laugher Centre.
Initial plans to refurbish the centre were delayed in 2019 after a void was discovered which required complex groundwork to ensure the safety of customers and protect the leisure centre’s future.
The project is now approaching completion with the renovated lower ground floor to reopen in September, with a full fitness class programme to be available to customers in brand new exercise studios.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for leisure services, Cllr Simon Myers, said: “This is fantastic news for communities who will soon have full access to these high-quality, modern facilities that we hope will enhance users’ health and wellbeing.
“Everyone has shown amazing patience while these crucial ground stabilisation works have been completed and I would like to thank residents for their cooperation throughout.
“From the outset, we wanted the leisure centre in Ripon to be brought in line with our other Active North Yorkshire facilities in neighbouring towns – offering a wide range of options and opportunities for people wanting to become more active.
“We are delighted that this long-running project is reaching its conclusion, and we are all looking forward to the full reopening of the centre later this year.”
Like much of Ripon, the leisure centre sits above a layer of gypsum – a water-soluble rock that leads to the formation of large underground caves that can collapse.
As a result, a series of complex structural works were needed to stabilise the site and ensure the centre can continue to benefit the community for years to come.
The £23 million project has been taken on by North Yorkshire Council after the work was begun by the former Harrogate Borough Council.
Cllr Myers added: “This has been a challenging scheme, but it is one we committed to as it ensures a vital facility will continue to be available for the benefit of residents of Ripon and beyond.
“We are promoting health and wellbeing for our communities with the launch of Active North Yorkshire, which will mean that all of our leisure centres are managed by ourselves to ensure that there is a coordinated approach for our service across the whole of the county for the first time.”
With these stabilisation works completed, most of the gym facilities were brought back into the Dallamires Lane centre earlier this year. They had been temporarily housed in a cabin in the site’s car park.
The refurbishment of the lower ground floor space, which will include a state-of-the-art dedicated cycling studio, two group exercise studios, a sports hall, new changing rooms and a meeting room, are all expected to be completed in September.
Group fitness classes that have temporarily run from Hugh Ripley Hall will also return into the leisure centre.
The developments have been welcomed by users of the gym, including local resident Andy Travis, who is recovering from a liver transplant after a period of poor health.
He uses the site every day to continue to build up his strength – making use of the exercise bike, shoulder press and free weights.
Mr Travis said: “Coming in here has been great and has been a key part of my recovery. I’m always made to feel welcome and there’s a great community feel around the place.
“It’s not just for those who are super fit, there’s something for everyone – so it’s great that the upgrades are nearly complete and the centre will soon be fully reopen.
“I’m looking forward to trying the new classes on offer and getting involved with the Fit4All sessions to continue my recovery.”
Cllr Andrew Williams, who represents the Ripon Minster and Moorside division on North Yorkshire Council, said: “I am pleased that the renovations are nearing completion and that the fully-refurbished leisure centre will soon reopen for residents to enjoy.
“This is a welcome milestone in what has been a long-running project, and I’m grateful for the commitment shown by North Yorkshire Council in resolving issues with the project which was originally started under the now defunct Harrogate Borough Council for the benefit of residents in Ripon and the surrounding area.”
To find out more about the facilities offered at Active North Yorkshire Ripon – The Jack Laugher Centre, please visit North Yorkshire Council’s website at www.northyorks.gov.uk/any-jlc.
