Pool's future in doubt after 'issues' uncovered

The pool will remain closed for at least three months

The future of a public swimming pool has been thrown into doubt after council officials revealed that "extensive" work was needed on the building.

Richmond Swimming Pool has been closed since April, when part of the ceiling fell down just weeks after the facilities transferred from the management of Richmondshire Leisure Trust to North Yorkshire Council.

According to the council, investigations have since uncovered "several historic issues" at the site.

The pool will remain closed for at least three months while further surveys are carried out and "all possible future options" are considered.

In a statement, North Yorkshire Council said: "In addition to the essential repairs required, we also know that other areas are in urgent need of improvement and key equipment requires replacement.

"We now want to take more time to assess and compare all possible future options available to us, including the costs and impact of these options."

North Yorkshire Council took over management after Richmondshire District Council was dissolved

The council said it appreciated the closure was disappointing and apologised for the disruption caused.

The statement added: "We thank you for your ongoing patience and would like to remind customers that you can use pool facilities at our neighbouring Active North Yorkshire sites."

The café and adjacent gym remain open as normal, the Local Democracy Service reports.

The site was previously owned by Richmondshire District Council until it was dissolved in 2023.

The district authority came under fire in 2022 for giving the trust almost 5% of its income to run the services - and then having to provide an extra £75,000 in funding to cover a 400% increase in energy bills.

The council also agreed to pay compensation to the trust of up to £85,000 due to lost income from issues with a £1.9m revamp, which included a new heating system and solar panels on the roof.

The upgrade work took longer than expected and meant the pool had to close for several months in 2023 due to issues with the heating system.

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