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Leisure chief stakes career on Kentish Town baths refurb
SWIMMERS have told the Town Hall to keep Kentish Town Baths open until the last possible moment before its £23-million refurbishment.
Regular users are due to make their case at a public meeting at St Patrick’s School, Kentish Town, on Tuesday night. It starts at 7pm and is being hosted by the Caversham Neighbourhood Partnership, a combined body of community groups.
Liberal Democrat leisure chief Councillor Flick Rea said she was “disappointed” with the suspicion surrounding the refurbishment.
She said: “I think it is a symptom of Camden’s record on consultation. I would have hoped that people would have taken the opportunity to take part and give their views about how the pool should be refurbished. The fact is, we are committed to refurbishing the baths. That’s what people wanted. If it doesn’t happen, I walk. It was always going to have to close at some point but the situation has got worse there – I could not be responsible if there was a health and safety danger which we are getting close to.”
The pool is due to close on February 25 and is likely to be closed until 2010.
The sudden announcement of its imminent closure has also angered the opposition Labour party.
Labour leader Cllr Anna Stewart said: With a project of this size, there is always going to be risks. Risks that it will overrun, go over budget. I would like to know what contingency is in place. Scrutiny at the council is supposed to be getting better and clearer but it seems the opposite is happening.”
Camden is tied into refurbishing the baths after the Lib Dems committed to saving the Victorian pools in their election drive last May.
Plans have been brought forward because the learner pool has broken down and will cost £300,000 to fix, while regular breakdowns mean the overall operation costs £40,000 a month to fund.
A council press official said that the problems had become a “health and safety” issue and that it was not practical to keep the pool open later than next month.
– see letters
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