Ripon leisure centre sinkhole work 'to cost £3.5m'

An underground void was found beneath the leisure centre when its new swimming pool was being built

Remedial work on an underground void found beneath a leisure centre is set to cost £3.5m and delay a refurbishment project even further.

Ripon leisure centre's new pool opened this year but plans for a larger gym and studios were delayed by the void found under the older part of the site.

Work to strengthen the ground requires an additional £3.5m of council funding.

Engineers say "a do-nothing approach is unacceptable from a public safety perspective", a council report states.

Like much of Ripon, the centre sits above a layer of gypsum, a water-soluble rock that leads to the formation of large underground caves that can collapse.

Engineering firm Stantec carried out ground investigations on the site over the winter to assess what work was needed, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The report, which will be put before the Harrogate council's cabinet next week, said the authority had made "every effort to provide an accurate estimate" of the costs, but they could rise further.

Twelve properties in Ripon were evacuated after a 20ft (6m) deep hole appeared in 2016

It said: "By undertaking the works, which also include installing post-works monitoring equipment, the council will ensure that it has put into place adequate mitigation to address the risks."

The work would mean the centre, which was due to be refurbished and reopened in 2021, would have to partially close for at least 10 months from November.

A temporary gym in the venue's car park has also been proposed and will cost an additional £300,000, while the new swimming pool would remain open throughout, the report states.

A decision to build the new swimming pool next to the existing leisure centre was made in 2019 despite some councillors raising "deep concerns" over ground stability issues at the site where a sinkhole opened up the previous year.

The council has continually insisted that professional advice made it clear the site was "safe to use".

If approved by cabinet members, remedial work would start in December with refurbishment set for completion in spring 2024.