“this exciting new facility
supports our vision for a healthier, more
active population”
Knaresborough Leisure & Wellness Centre
North Yorkshire Council
Project value:£17.5 million
Partners: ISG Construction, GT3 Architects, UK Leisure Framework (managed by Denbighshire Leisure)
This new build centre was originally commissioned by Harrogate Borough Council and is now part of a wider £47.9 million leisure transformation project by the newly Combined North Yorkshire Council. Investment has also delivered an extensive refurbishment of The Harrogate Hydro – rebranded the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre, which creates a network of modern, sustainable leisure and wellness hubs designed to serve the community for many years to come.
The new Leisure and Wellness Centre delivers a range of wet and dry facilities for all ages to enjoy. In addition to a six-lane 25-metre pool, complete with pool pod, a leisure pool with flume and a 60-station fitness suite, there is also a sauna and steam room, a group fitness studio, an immersive group cycling studio and a café.
Outside, a children’s play area constructed from natural materials will open in the new year and has been designed to blend in with the surroundings. Electric car charge points and bicycle storage have also been added to encourage sustainable travel.
In Knaresborough, the new build facility is also achieving BREEAM Excellent status, a recognised third-party certification for sustainability performance. Achieving the ‘excellent’ standard of efficiency places the development amongst the top performing leisure facilities in the UK when it comes to energy efficiency. This is good news for the council’s net zero targets, good news for residents and ultimately, good news for the planet. More than 60 per cent of project works has been delivered via the local supply chain whilst targeted training opportunities have created several apprenticeship opportunities. This development is truly a project delivered by the community for the community and it’s been an absolute privilege to be involved.
James Foley
At Brimhams Active we have a simple vision: to ensure everyone in our community can lead an active, healthy and happy life. The creation of this new Leisure and Wellness Centre provides a modern, safe space where all walks of life, at every stage of life’s journey, can come together and enjoy a range of activities from swimming and fitness to dining and relaxing. The investment really does deliver something for everyone. I’m now looking forward to working with my team to bring these facilities to life.
Mark Tweedie
Alliance Leisure has been a key long term partner in our transformation to an active wellbeing service. They are helping to make our ambitions a reality – delivering high quality projects across North Yorkshire, including most recently the design and build of the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and the Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre. Following investment of over £37million these exciting new facilities support the vision for a healthier, more active population – which are being delivered in partnership with our local authority trading company, Brimhams Active.
Jo Ireland
Local authorities have a crucial role to play in promoting physical activity and enabling people at all stages of life to move more.
Over the last decade millions has been invested into our leisure portfolio helping us to deliver locally based facilities and programmes that best serve our diverse communities. We are committed to continuing to invest in our facilities and services over the long term to tackle inequalities and improve the health of our communities – part of a wider movement to transform the role and function of local authority leisure services.
Councillor Simon Myres
To achieve the building’s impressive BREAAM ‘Excellent’ rating, a fabric-first approach to the building design was adopted, and utilised the energy hierarchy was utilised; Be Lean, Be Clean, Be Green, to eliminate energy need and minimise energy use. A number of architectural and building fabric measures (passive design) plus energy efficient services (active design) have been incorporated, including:
- 2 high efficiency air source heat pumps
- 100 380W roof-mounted photovoltaic (solar) panels providing an estimated yield of 32,452 kWh per annum
- Low SPF ventilation plant and high efficiency inverter drives
- Building management system
- LED lighting throughout with high lumen circuit watt values
- Smart lighting control
Client
North Yorkshire Council
Project Date
December 2023
Category
Cafe · Case Studies · Changing Rooms · Fitness · Immersive Studio · New Build · Outdoor Activities · Studios · Swimming