'No predeterminations' on decision where to build new Knaresborough leisure centre, says councillor

Councillor Stanley Lumley, cabinet member for culture, tourism and sport, said claims that the council had made up its own mind on where to build the facility were wrong and have caused "confusion".

The town's existing swimming pool site on King James Road has been chosen as the location for the new facility but councillor Lumley said "word had got around" that Conyngham Hall - a historic estate near the River Nidd - was the council's preferred option.

He insisted this was not the case, however, councillor Pat Marsh, leader of the local Liberal Democrats, said she believes the council had a "very serious eye" on Conyngham Hall.

"There was never a preferred site or any predetermination as to where we were going to build the new facility," councillor Lumley said.

"It would not have been fair to rule out any of our sites within the Knaresborough area before we had looked at every opportunity.

"We paid consultants to look at all of the pros and cons for each site, looking at everything from location, visual impact and parking - it was the whole gambit."

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A public consultation on four potential sites - also including Hay-a-Park and Knaresborough House - was held in December but the results have not yet been published.

The Conyngham Hall option has been strongly opposed by vocal residents and although it has been ruled out, a petition by the local Liberal Democrats to protect the estate was handed into the council on Wednesday.

Matt Walker, the campaigns coordinator, told a full council meeting: "The Conyngham Hall grounds are an important green space for the residents of Knaresborough and they were rightly angry with the council when they proposed this as a possible new site.

"Building a leisure centre here would ruin the historic building with significant loss of much-valued green space."

The council has appointed Alliance Leisure Services as development managers for the new leisure centre which could be completed by the end of 2023.

It will be built next to the 29-year-old Knaresborough Pool at Fysche Field and include a new 25-metre pool, a 66-station gym and two studio spaces.

Once completed, the existing swimming pool site will be demolished.

Councillor Stanley Lumley added: "I am very pleased that the existing site has been chosen for moving forward with this project. It will provide yet another state of the art swimming pool and gym that we can all be proud of."

By Jacob Webster, Local Democracy Reporter