Council takeover to secure swimming pool's future

The future of a community-run swimming pool would be secured by putting it under council control, it has been claimed.

North Yorkshire Council is due to take on the running of Richmond Swimming Pool on 1 March, following issues with rising costs and upgrade work at the venue in recent years.

The facility will be the latest in the county to be taken in-house following the launch of the unitary authority in 2023.

Richmond councillor Stuart Parsons said the transfer to council control was a "good move", which would see an "almost seamless changeover".

Similar venues in Selby, Tadcaster, Harrogate, Knaresborough and Ripon, have already been taken on by North Yorkshire Council under its Active North Yorkshire banner.

The council is also set to take control of adjacent Liberty Health Club in Richmond from 1 March.

The Richmond pool and gym are currently operated by Richmondshire Leisure Trust, with the charity given the lease by the former Richmondshire District Council in 2005.

In recent years, trust bosses have warned that rising costs and fewer users had threatened the future of the facilities.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service the former district council 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.

Parsons said he had "felt sorry" for Richmondshire Leisure Trust.

He added: "They were created on the understanding they could access funding that the council couldn't, but that wasn't really the case."

Trust bosses said the facilities were being handed over in good shape with a record number of gym users and the highest number of swimmers using the pool for several years, despite a decline in swimming nationally.

Chairman of Richmondshire Leisure Trust, Andy White, said: "As these special and vital facilities transfer to new management, we hope that they will continue to enhance the lives of all who are involved in their provision."

Council officers said the swimming pool and health club would operate as normal during the transition and memberships and opening hours would remain unchanged.

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