North Yorkshire Council delivered an early Christmas present to residents of Knaresborough with the opening of a new £17.5 million energy-efficient leisure and wellness centre in December 2023.

The newly built centre, developed by Alliance Leisure through the UK Leisure Framework, was originally commissioned by Harrogate Borough Council and is now part of a wider £47.9 million leisure transformation project led by the newly combined North Yorkshire Council. This investment has also funded an extensive refurbishment of The Harrogate Hydro, which has been rebranded as the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre. Together, these form a network of modern, sustainable leisure and wellness hubs designed to serve the community for many years to come.

In Knaresborough, the new Leisure and Wellness Centre offers a variety of wet and dry facilities suitable for all ages. These include a six-lane, 25-metre pool with a pool pod, a leisure pool with a flume, and a 60-station fitness suite. Additional amenities include a sauna and steam room, a group fitness studio, an immersive group cycling studio, and a café. Outside, a children’s play area made from natural materials is due to open in the new year and has been designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding environment. Electric car charging points and bicycle storage have also been installed to encourage sustainable travel.

In addition to meeting facility and community needs, the new Leisure and Wellness Centre also prioritises energy efficiency. Traditional gas boilers have been replaced with efficient air source heat pumps, while roof-mounted solar panels provide a continuous source of renewable energy. LED lighting throughout is complemented by a modern building management system and state-of-the-art electrical infrastructure, all contributing to an anticipated 60 per cent reduction in carbon emissions compared to fossil fuel alternatives.

The Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre, along with the Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre and the Jack Laugher Leisure and Wellness Centre, are all managed by Brimhams Active, a community health and wellbeing organisation wholly owned by North Yorkshire Council.

‘Meeting communities where they are’ has been a guiding principle of the project. Working alongside Brimhams, the Alliance TA6 team have supported its success through the delivery of strategic marketing and branding personas that genuinely reflect the philosophy of ‘helping people move more, live well, and feel great across the Harrogate district’.

All works at Knaresborough Leisure and Wellness Centre have been delivered by leading leisure development specialist Alliance Leisure, working alongside construction partner ISG and GT3 Architects.

By moving the service offer from being a conventional swimming pool to a community health and wellbeing service we aim to help people move more, live well, feel great and reduce the proportion of the population that is physically inactive.

Councillor Simon Myers
North Yorkshire Council's executive member for culture and leisure

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
James Foley
Commercial Director, Alliance Leisure

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
Mark Tweedie
Managing Director, Birmhams Active