Plans for a major £40 million investment to promote healthy and active communities across North Yorkshire by transforming leisure and wellbeing hubs are set to be considered by councillors.
Members of our executive will meet on Tuesday next week (4 November) to consider a proposed leisure investment strategy.
The plans have been drawn up after we launched the new Active North Yorkshire service last year.
The new service is aimed at improving the opportunities for people to become and stay active at every stage of their life. The next phase looks at how investment in the council’s facilities can help to deliver this aim and to create financially sustainable services across the county.
Executive member for culture, arts and housing, Cllr Simon Myers, whose responsibilities include leisure services, said: “The proposed investment is set to represent a real watershed moment for us
“It shows the commitment we have to making sure that everyone in North Yorkshire has the best opportunities possible to stay active or take up exercise to help to promote both physical and mental health and wellbeing.
“There has been a great deal of work on these proposals to make sure that we can provide our leisure services as effectively as possible through the new Active North Yorkshire banner.
“We will consider the plans carefully when they are presented to members of the council’s executive next week.”
A total of £36 million is recommended to be invested in four key sites as part of the planned strategy to provide the greatest opportunity for all residents to take part in physical activity.
The plans would see the funding focused on improving Active North Yorkshire sites in Selby and Skipton as well as Pickering and Whitby. The Pickering and Whitby locations are currently operated by Everyone Active, and are due to become part of Active North Yorkshire in 2027.
The investment would pay for improved gym facilities, additional studio space and an overhaul of swimming pools along with better changing rooms.
There would also be more accessible pool access including Changing Places facilities for people with additional needs, and improved reception areas and public spaces across the four sites.
A further £3 million in funding is recommended to be invested in a phased programme to upgrade gym and fitness equipment across another 12 leisure sites overseen by us throughout the county.
Plans to see more than £1 million invested in essential repairs at both swimming pools at the Active North Yorkshire Richmond site to ensure that they re-open to the public have already been approved by the executive at a meeting this month (October).
Both swimming pools had to be shut following a partial collapse of the building’s ceiling in April and have since remained closed while options were considered by the council.
The investment falls under the wider proposed leisure investment strategy, but a decision was taken this month to ensure the repairs can start at the earliest opportunity before the pools are due to reopen next year.
The gym facilities and the café at the site in Richmond continue to be open to the public.