Councillors to discuss £40m investment in North Yorkshire leisure facilities
It wants to create more opportunities for people to stay active
Councillors in North Yorkshire are set to consider a £40million pound investment to transform leisure centres across the county.
Members of the executive will meet today (4 November) to consider a proposed leisure investment strategy.
The plans have been drawn up after the Council 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.
"Watershed moment"
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."
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 the Council 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.