Work is progressing on a new swimming pool for Knaresborough, with the steel frame starting to take shape.
It 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
- bicycle storage
The leisure and wellness centre is being built to the BREEAM standard of ‘Excellent’ which provides third-party certification of the assessment of the sustainability and energy performance for buildings.
It will incorporate high efficiency building materials, air source heat pumps and solar panels to reduce the carbon footprint. Achieving this BREEAM accreditation will contribute to the council’s vision to have a net-zero carbon economy by 2038.
- Targetting a summer opening, 2023
- Budget is £17million, and on-target
- Once open, the existing pool will close and be demolished, to be replaced by the new play area. This is due to take a further 15-weeks
Councillor Stanley Lumley, Harrogate Borough Council’s cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, and chair of the board of directors at Brimhams Active, said:
We are on schedule, and on budget, with everything going as planned, and in some areas ahead of plan as we have had such good weather.
We have gone through consultation, and all the normal due process prior to awarding the contract for the work. Work continues listening to the community, this morning the Knaresborough Civic Society, along with close neighbours, came along to a meeting. Some came with queries and concerns, and we will do our level best to allay those concerns.
Councillor Phil Ireland, cabinet member for carbon reduction and sustainability and borough councillor for the Knaresborough Aspin and Calcutt ward, said:
This new leisure and wellness centre is a brilliant addition for the town of Knaresborough and I’m delighted that the borough council has committed to investing in leisure facilities.
What is also so important is the fact it will be built to BREEAM standard of ‘Excellent’, ensuring that is as energy-efficient as possible to help us achieve our net-zero emissions target.
