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They have had time to fix pool problem
• I SHARE the shock and dismay of many of your readers at the mess created by the Lib Dems over plans for Kentish Town Baths. Like other concerned residents, I attended the meeting convened last Tuesday evening to call the council to account for the way they have ridden rough-shod over the wishes of the local community. Councillor Flick Rea even went so far as to declare an end to open consultations revealing her colleagues’ contempt for the views of ordinary residents.
The Lib Dems made the refurbishment of the Baths a top priority in their pre-election promises. They had 15 months to think about how they might tackle the problem. Surely it wasn’t unreasonable to believe that, as a key policy, they gave some serious thought in that time to how they might enact it and indeed pay for it?
Yet it feels very much as if the present plans were dreamt up late one night on the back of a cigarette packet. With no firm plans, a vague re-opening ‘sometime in 2010’ and a budget looking to spiral out of control, what else are we to think?
The people of Kentish Town want to see the baths remain a part of the landscape for many years to come. We’re even prepared to endure a bit of pain whilst they receive a facelift. But it looks as if we’re going to have to hold this shoddy Tory/Lib Dem administration to their promises every step of the way.
SAM McBRATNEY
Lady Margaret Road , NW5
• BOTH the residents of Kentish Town, and the Labour councillors seem to have misunderstood the situation at the baths.
Pieces of the roof have been falling into the pools. The complex has become so dilapidated that the roof is literally falling in. The learner pool is closed and would cost £300,000 to repair. The centre its-self is costing £40,000 to run every month. Why? Because it has become so completely run-down.
Would any of those complaining Labour councillors like us to keep the pools open and see a bit of roof fall on someone’s head? There is a very real chance of that happening.
The building must be closed. Then we can gut it and make a start on the essential refurbishment of this vital local resource. Anything less, any half measures, would be completely wrong and potentially dangerous.
CLLr ARTHUR GRAVES
(Con) Town Hall
Judd Street, WC1
• PEOPLE are right to be concerned about the lack of openess and consultation on the massive Kentish Town Baths Project. Given the heated debate over how it should be refurbished during the election, I was really quite surprised that it took the Lib Dems until October to moot their plans – and only after concerted pressure from Labour councillors.
But even then, there was no detailed document or report outlining how people would be consulted, when they would be consulted or the process by local people can feed their views on the rebuild of the Victorian Baths.
Rather, when Cllr Flick Rea chose to proceed with it, she had to rush into it, much to the annoyance of pool users and concern to those of us who have always said that the risks of this project needed to be managed rigorously.
Yet again the failure of the new scrutiny system introduced after the election has meant that councillors have not been allowed to raise concerns about consultation or the extra financial risks involved. This is at a time when budgets are being massively stretched.
I raise these concern not because anyone is against a modernisation, but the real fear that a massive overspend on the £23 million project could force the council to sell off community assets to pay for it or not pay for other needed projects – like the needed building of the new older people’s home.
Cllr THEO BLACKWELL
(Lab) Town Hall
Judd Street, WC1
• THE Prince of Wales swimming baths will be a test of whether the council really are prepared to listen to the public.
The great majority of people don’t want the baths to be closed on February 25 as the council propose.
They want them to stay open until the renovation work actually begins. Closure until 2010 will be a heavy loss to the community. For example, there is a real danger that swimming time for primary and secondary schools will be drastically reduced.
This ought not to happen until it is absolutely necessary.
That won’t be till long after February 25. The consultation period runs until then. Then the council have to take their final decision. Then a detailed specification has to be prepared.
Then the contract has to be let. All this will take many, many months. There is no sense in closing the pools long before the renovation can possibly start.
If Camden Council genuinely care about the views of the public they will cancel the closure date of February 25 and close the pools only when they are ready to start work.
RODERICK ALLISON
Elaine Grove, NW5
Open letter to Cllr Flick Rea:
• MANY thanks for the detailed explanation that you sent me regarding the reasons for the hasty closure of Kentish Town Baths. I have distributed your response to all the members of the Batholomew Area Residents’ Association (Bara).
I attended the meeting about the baths closure on Tuesday night and found the whole discussion illuminating and interesting. Having taken a tour of the building I am inclined to agree that it is surprising that the place has kept going for so long.
Therefore, I did not support the meeting’s motion to keep the baths open beyond February 25. I do however support the motion – which was not properly voted on – that the council should be transparent in its decision making and be able to produce documentation to support the closure decision.
In my view was your reaction to myself and others who asserted that public consultation should be something that runs throughout the duration of the refurbishment project. I was somewhat shocked by your assertion that you were disappointed at this and that you would “never again have a public consultation”. I trust this statement was said in the heat of the moment and not something that you really believe.
On that basis I have asked around and found that the only public body which is concerned with the baths is the ‘Save Kentish Town Baths Campaign’. Its main spokesperson is Lib Dem Councillor Philip Thompson. Now, Cllr Thompson may have been an appropriate person to represent local people when your party was in opposition, but hardly appropriate now that you are in power.
I would like to suggest that you use part of the public meeting on February 7 to elect one or two representatives of the baths using public to represent the interests of all baths users in regular meetings with the baths development parties. The idea of this would be that yourself, architects, consultants and contractors would all have access to a wealth of experience from those who actually use the sporting facilities.
These representatives would in turn meet with a baths committee to report and seek guidance on proposals and decisions.
This framework has been set up between Bara and the team who are redeveloping the health centre in Bartholomew Road. It is an excellent way of keeping people involved and concerned about the project.
I also feel that as far as the baths are concerned, it will help avoid some of the many stupid mistakes that were made in the planning and finishing of the Swiss Cottage redevelopment.
DES BRADLEY
Chairman
Bartholomew Area Residents’ Association
Lawford Road , NW5 |
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