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Huge fire rips through leisure centre (From York Press)
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Huge fire rips through Abbey Leisure Centre in Selby
10:10am Wednesday 29th February 2012 in Selby & Tadcaster By Jennifer Bell and Dan Bean
Roof debris inside the pool area at Abbey Leisure Centre in Selby
Updated: THE damage to Selby's Abbey Leisure Centre following today's fire may be so severe, the facility may have to be completely rebuilt.
Four fire crews were called to the Abbey Leisure Centre in Scott Road, Selby, after a shift manager noticed smoke on the first floor at about 6.30am yesterday.
Dozens of people watched fire crews tackle the blaze, which destroyed the gym area almost completely.
The fire burned for almost four hours, and caused huge clouds of smoke to billow from the roof across the town.
As these exclusive pictures show, much of the interior of the building was gutted by the blaze, and large sections of the fire-damaged roof and ventilation systems collapsed into the pool.
Council leader Mark Crane said he believed the damage “will run into millions of pounds”, and the council would consult with architects to see whether the structural damage suffered in the blaze would require the building to be completely rebuilt.
Coun Crane said: “It’s a devastating fire that has caused a great deal of damage to the building.
“Clearly we are now faced with a difficult situation because whether it is a new leisure centre or repairs of this one, we are looking at months rather than weeks."
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Coun Crane said the district council would work with North Yorkshire County Council and local schools to find alternative facilities for schoolchildren until repairs were complete.
But he said finding alternative pool space could be difficult.
Station Manager Cecil Pugh, from North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, said the fire probably started in the sauna or steam room on the first floor of the building, but no one was injured and everyone was out of the building by the time fire crews arrived.
Fire investigation officers later said that though investigations were ongoing, they did not believe the fire had been started deliberately.
The centre received a £1.1 million refurbishment last year, and councillors are due to meet on Thursday to discuss the addition of new all-weather football pitches at a cost of about £250,000.
Coun Crane said the decision would still go ahead on Thursday, and he hoped work would start by April or May, with alternative temporary changing facilities provided until the fire-damaged centre was refurbished or rebuilt.
One eyewitness, Kate Wilson, of nearby Charles Street, said she heard sirens and saw fire engines pass her window.
She said: “I looked out and I can see all this smoke. It was thick black smoke.
“It was really horrendous – it covered a lot of the sky. It was quite disturbing to see that so close to your home.
“I could not see anything for a good hour.”
Abbey Leisure Centre was hit by two fires in three days back in 2002 which gutted part of the building.
The two fires - both started by electrical faults - gutted two administration offices, caused severe smoke-damage to the swimming pool area, and badly damaged the pool control panel, which operates the water circulation, filtration and disinfection systems.
It meant the centre shut for 11-weeks whilst a costly refurbishment programme was carried out.
Comments(34)
TalkinRubbish
says...
12:01pm Tue 28 Feb 12
ISeeEverything
says...
12:03pm Tue 28 Feb 12
Chrido81
says...
12:34pm Tue 28 Feb 12
willy woodbine
says...
2:17pm Tue 28 Feb 12
TalkinRubbish wrote:2pugh's ? I thought the fire service were cutting back !!
"Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble, Grub." Sorry guys, couldn't resist
Guy Fawkes
says...
2:41pm Tue 28 Feb 12
The centre received a £1.1 million refurbishment last year.
Yikes. Glad I'm not the insurer of this place!
Big Bad Wolf
says...
2:58pm Tue 28 Feb 12
Guy Fawkes wrote:Third fire.... doubt if they will be able to find one...
The centre received a £1.1 million refurbishment last year.
Yikes. Glad I'm not the insurer of this place!
FLAVADAVE
says...
3:45pm Tue 28 Feb 12
Presume most of that budget was used to buy a DeLorean to go back in time to the 80s to commission the logo design...? ZING!
selbyperson
says...
3:50pm Tue 28 Feb 12
CHISSY1
says...
4:58pm Tue 28 Feb 12
Pete the Brickie
says...
5:08pm Tue 28 Feb 12
CHISSY1 wrote:We might as well nobody got hurt, look at it this way CHISSY1 York got Eternal Law and God sent us in Selby a real life, reality TV remake of the Brittas Empire, "Errrr Colin just how exactly did you heat the sauna this morning?"
You sad pathetic bunch of creatures,you think it is funny.You are like vultures,anything bad and you try to make a joke of it,get back under your stones.
the butler
says...
5:18pm Tue 28 Feb 12
Chrido81
says...
5:56pm Tue 28 Feb 12
CHISSY1 wrote:Get a sense of humour and be thankful no one was hurt. There are more important things in the world than a swimming pool.
You sad pathetic bunch of creatures,you think it is funny.You are like vultures,anything bad and you try to make a joke of it,get back under your stones.
Garrowby Turnoff
says...
6:10pm Tue 28 Feb 12
Guy Fawkes
says...
7:13pm Tue 28 Feb 12
In the twelve years I've lived at my current address, I've probably paid around £1,500 in contents insurance. A burglar would have to work very hard to nick £1,500-worth of stuff in a single visit. But there again, that money did buy me peace of mind, which I wouldn't have had if I'd decided to self-insure.
Back and Beyond
says...
7:15pm Tue 28 Feb 12
CHISSY1
says...
8:07pm Tue 28 Feb 12
Chrido81 wrote:I have a very good sense of humor,but not when it come to bad news,bad luck,other peoples misfortunes, obviously you do.Let us know if your house ever burns down and and see if you can see
CHISSY1 wrote:Get a sense of humour and be thankful no one was hurt. There are more important things in the world than a swimming pool.
You sad pathetic bunch of creatures,you think it is funny.You are like vultures,anything bad and you try to make a joke of it,get back under your stones.
the funny side.
JayPea
says...
8:46pm Tue 28 Feb 12
idontspeakpineapple
says...
9:09pm Tue 28 Feb 12
lovelylyd
says...
8:00am Wed 29 Feb 12
Willy Eckerslike
says...
8:30am Wed 29 Feb 12
6:10pm Tue 28 Feb 12
Many of York's public buildings are uninsured due to the cost! This includes many historic sites in the city.”
You do spout some rubbish
Willy Eckerslike
says...
8:32am Wed 29 Feb 12
6:10pm Tue 28 Feb 12
Many of York's public buildings are uninsured due to the cost! This includes many historic sites in the city.”
You do spout some rubbish
Big Bad Wolf
says...
8:58am Wed 29 Feb 12
lovelylyd wrote:Sorry to hear that, good luck finding a new venue, I know how hard that can be.
so not funny!!!..me and my fiance only went in there monday afternoon to pay for our evening wedding reception!!!!..now got less than 8 weeks to find somewhere else !!!!!!!!
ISeeEverything
says...
10:47am Wed 29 Feb 12
Garrowby Turnoff wrote:They must be insured, they still have the Sun Life plaques on the wall.
Many of York's public buildings are uninsured due to the cost! This includes many historic sites in the city.
ISeeEverything
says...
10:48am Wed 29 Feb 12
Big Bad Wolf wrote:Every cloud has a silver lining.
lovelylyd wrote:Sorry to hear that, good luck finding a new venue, I know how hard that can be.
so not funny!!!..me and my fiance only went in there monday afternoon to pay for our evening wedding reception!!!!..now got less than 8 weeks to find somewhere else !!!!!!!!
bloodaxe
says...
11:24am Wed 29 Feb 12
Pete the Brickie wrote:Could you re-write that in English ?
CHISSY1 wrote:We might as well nobody got hurt, look at it this way CHISSY1 York got Eternal Law and God sent us in Selby a real life, reality TV remake of the Brittas Empire, "Errrr Colin just how exactly did you heat the sauna this morning?"
You sad pathetic bunch of creatures,you think it is funny.You are like vultures,anything bad and you try to make a joke of it,get back under your stones.
ReginaldBiscuit
says...
12:12pm Wed 29 Feb 12
bloodaxe wrote:Has anybody opened a Facebook RIP Selby Leisure page yet?
Pete the Brickie wrote:Could you re-write that in English ?
CHISSY1 wrote:We might as well nobody got hurt, look at it this way CHISSY1 York got Eternal Law and God sent us in Selby a real life, reality TV remake of the Brittas Empire, "Errrr Colin just how exactly did you heat the sauna this morning?"
You sad pathetic bunch of creatures,you think it is funny.You are like vultures,anything bad and you try to make a joke of it,get back under your stones.
That's usually what happens when general people want to wallow in public grief and matters. A page for half-wits, billy-no-mates and shallow lives to scrawn their sympathy on the wall of a public forum. An off-your-chest-a-tho
n for inadequates and inbreds.
For example;
Dee, Plymouth - "Gutted about Selby Leisure. Never went there but drove near there on the M62 once"
Michael, Kent - "RIP Selby Leisure. I is well bad about dis. Live in Kent but I am wasted about dis tragik event. Innit."
John, York - "It was god's wrath because they had same sex dressing rooms".
Rantin Reg
says...
1:15pm Wed 29 Feb 12
Sometimes good things come out of bad. hopefully it will have to be demolished and rebuilt with a more practical pool and better designed building all round. let's face it was a rather terrible example of a modern day leisure centre.
bloodaxe
says...
3:00pm Wed 29 Feb 12
ReginaldBiscuit wrote:You make your point effectively.
bloodaxe wrote:Has anybody opened a Facebook RIP Selby Leisure page yet?
Pete the Brickie wrote:Could you re-write that in English ?
CHISSY1 wrote:We might as well nobody got hurt, look at it this way CHISSY1 York got Eternal Law and God sent us in Selby a real life, reality TV remake of the Brittas Empire, "Errrr Colin just how exactly did you heat the sauna this morning?"
You sad pathetic bunch of creatures,you think it is funny.You are like vultures,anything bad and you try to make a joke of it,get back under your stones.
That's usually what happens when general people want to wallow in public grief and matters. A page for half-wits, billy-no-mates and shallow lives to scrawn their sympathy on the wall of a public forum. An off-your-chest-a-tho
n for inadequates and inbreds.
For example;
Dee, Plymouth - "Gutted about Selby Leisure. Never went there but drove near there on the M62 once"
Michael, Kent - "RIP Selby Leisure. I is well bad about dis. Live in Kent but I am wasted about dis tragik event. Innit."
John, York - "It was god's wrath because they had same sex dressing rooms".
The Mc
says...
12:01am Thu 1 Mar 12
Looking at the building today, why are people saying it needs to be demolished, the outside walls are intact and look OK, obviously needs a new roof and interior...
JB1980
says...
7:23am Thu 1 Mar 12
lovelylyd wrote:On Don't Tell The Bride they get 4 weeks.
so not funny!!!..me and my fiance only went in there monday afternoon to pay for our evening wedding reception!!!!..now got less than 8 weeks to find somewhere else !!!!!!!!
Wrangle
says...
7:46pm Thu 1 Mar 12
arglemcgee
says...
10:31pm Thu 1 Mar 12
ISeeEverything wrote:Yes, call me snobbish but if my fiancee wanted to have our wedding reception in such a place, that might just make me reconsider the whole idea...
Big Bad Wolf wrote:Every cloud has a silver lining.
lovelylyd wrote:Sorry to hear that, good luck finding a new venue, I know how hard that can be.
so not funny!!!..me and my fiance only went in there monday afternoon to pay for our evening wedding reception!!!!..now got less than 8 weeks to find somewhere else !!!!!!!!
francesinboots
says...
11:00pm Thu 1 Mar 12
SupremeOverlord says...
11:03am Tue 28 Feb 12