New £17m Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre is starting to take shape

New Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre takes shape - Coun Stanley Lumley, Coun Phil Ireland, Alliance Leisure business development manager Sean Nolan and ISG project manager Julian Donnelly.

After all the heated debates and political wrangling, Knaresborough’s new £17 million leisure and wellness centre has taken a giant step towards completion.

The new facility is due to open at the end of summer 2023 and will provide a six-lane 25metre pool, activity pool with flume, sauna and steam room, fitness suite and studio, spin studio, café, electric car charging points and bicycle storage.

Recent days have seen the giant steel frame for the new leisure and wellness centre on King James Road in Knaresborough start to take shape under the direction of Brimhams Active, a leisure company created by Harrogate Borough Council.

Coun Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council's cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, said: "This new facility for Knaresborough will be a fantastic asset for the town and shows our commitment to investing in leisure provision across the district.

"Our vision at Brimhams Active is to create a healthier, more active population that is living longer, more independent and happier lives.

"By supporting this vision through this level of investment, we'll be able to achieve this."

Last year saw concern over the environmental impact of demolishing Knaresborough’s existing swimming pool to replace it with the new £17m development.

The alternative idea of retaining the existing swimming pool but adapting and extending suggested by Knaresborough Civic Society were over-ruled.

Harrogate council says the new leisure and wellness centre is being built to the BREEAM standard of 'Excellent' ensuring the sustainability and energy performance for buildings.

Coun Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability and borough councillor for Knaresborough Aspin and Calcutt ward, said: "The new leisure and wellness centre is a brilliant addition for Knaresborough.

"I’m delighted that the borough council has committed to investing in leisure facilities.

"What is so important is it will be built as energy-efficient as possible to help us achieve our net zero emissions target."

Once open, Knaresborough’s current pool will close and be demolished, to be replaced by a new play area, which will take an additional 15 weeks.