Councillors have given the go-ahead for the new service which will see a greater focus on health and well-being, providing more opportunities for people to participate and be active and focus on addressing inequalities.
Leisure centres will be transformed into active well-being hubs operating alongside more locally based services and activities and there will be increased support for community-based sport.
Members of North Yorkshire Council’s executive gave the go-ahead today (Tuesday, 9 January 2024) for the introduction of a new delivery model, which triggers the start of the next phase of the authority’s strategic leisure review.
Councillors were told that work so far has included input from local communities and sports groups, as well as stakeholders like Sport England and North Yorkshire Sport. A cross-party working group of councillors has also visited sites across the county to help shape the proposals.
Under the change the Local Authority Controlled Company (LACC) called Brimhams Active will go. That was a company established by Harrogate Borough Council in 2020 to manage the leisure facilities under the borough.
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture, leisure and housing, Cllr Simon Myers, said:
With one of the largest leisure portfolios in the country we now have the opportunity to transform the way we deliver those services and put us at the forefront of a national movement towards improving physical and mental health and well-being.
We will be creating a service bespoke to North Yorkshire with locally-based services and targeted provision, with particular emphasis on the needs of groups that may face barriers to participation. The UK population is 20 per cent less active than it was in the 1960s and we want to reverse that be providing the high quality, accessible and inclusive services people want, where they want them.
We also want to work in greater partnership with the NHS and social care providers as we recognise the benefits of physical activity in preventing and managing long term health conditions.
This is a very exciting time for leisure in North Yorkshire – local government reorganisation has given us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to look at our expansive portfolio and consolidate the services by building on best practice to create a new sport and active well-being service.
Currently the council’s leisure portfolio – which includes 19 leisure centres, 16 swimming pools, three well-being hubs, a nursery and Harrogate’s Turkish Baths are run by five different operators. Those arrangements will be moved to the single in-house model in a phased way – with the aim of the service being fully integrated and transformed by 2028.
The first change will be for services in the former Selby district where the contract with IHL comes to an end this year.
The next phase of work is to create a leisure investment strategy, progressing work already undertaken during recent asset condition surveys at the leisure centres. This will look at the condition of each site, their future roles and sustainability as part of the new delivery model and identify sites where investment is needed.
Please take forward the Scarborough Alpamare as soon as possible before it declines further. It is vital for the community as well as the tourist trade.
I STRONGLY Agree Pam, the Local Residents and Visitors ARE MISSING THIS VITAL RESOURCE WHICH IS INVALUABLE TO OUR HEALTH AND FITNESS NOT TO MENTION FUN FROM BABES TO SENIORS
Boasting the largest leisure portfolio in the country, north yorkshire council now have alpamare waterpark and LEISURE FACILITIES in Scarborough in their hands.
With the new model for the future to provide a bespoke service to improve the physical, Mental health and wellbeing for the people of north YORKSHIRE, this facility has it in abundance.
The vision is by 2028 NYC will have fully integrated their in-house phase to provide high quality, inclusive, ACCESSIBLE facilities for the people of north yorkshire where the people want it.
This seems a long way away when this site was running successfully until the company ran into financial difficulties.
nYC are now running a harrogate leisure site, alongside all the others in their portfolio, so why cant the one in scarborough be included in this vision for the future. Instead they are letting to another company.
The people of scarborough were enjoying this facility and it is where they want it. It has spectacular views over the north bay from the heated infinity pool, with grassed areas, wave pool, second pool with massaging water jets, slides, CHILDREN’S water play park aquafit classes and spa area.
It needs some adjustments to its half hearted ACCESSIBILITY issues which with guidance could be sorted out.
NYC say they want to work with NHS and social care providers recognising the benefits of physical activity yet a new company may have a seasonal and tourist target. Where does this fit into the new model and vision. There are a group of people in scarborough called the alpamare action group who are collectively and PASSIONATELY trying to get support together to get this valuable asset which the tax payers have contributed to, into the service the Council propose for the future.