Harrogate Borough Council has announced that plans for a £3m swimming pool for Ripon have been put on hold.

In December 2007, the council envisaged providing a new pool funded from the sale of the existing Spa Baths and the council undertaking prudential borrowing.

Like any other major organisation in the current climate, Harrogate Borough Council finds it impossible to commit to undertake the borrowing required as the revenue costs of repaying the loans cannot now be afforded.

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Council Leader, Mike Gardner, wishes to let the people of Ripon know that the council is still committed to providing a new pool for the City at Camp Close.

He said: "The cost of the new pool was always on the edge of what we could afford but we were confident in 2007 that our record of financial prudence meant that we could. But increased costs totally out of our control, such as having to find a further £1.5m to fund the Government's concessionary fare scheme this year, coupled with a drop of income from such things as land charges as home sales are dropping, has led to us having to hold off for now.

"Ripon Spa Baths will remain open and money will be spent to make sure that this facility is protected until we come out of the recession when we will once again look at ways of funding a new facility for the City."

(CD/JM)