Editor's choice May 2006

Baths update

Three years ago work to renovate the Moseley Road Baths. It was estimated to cost in the region of around £15 million it is now estimated to be in the area of around £18 million.

On Centre Surveys Ltd who worked on the Manchester Baths project, featured in a BBC restoration competition programme, and who recently finished carrying out a similar survey on the Cadbury’s Swimming Baths, are undertaking what is called a Measured Survey. Surveyors for the company expect the work to take around 45 days. This type of survey involves creating detailed drawings of the entire building from measurements taken on sight. Measurements for the front elevation of the building alone took three days. Following this a Full Condition Survey will be undertaken and this in turn will then give an indication as to what needs repairing or replacing.

It is hoped that the work will be completed by 22nd September allowing the Council Cabinet to give its approval for a Heritage Lottery bid later in December. By lodging a bid in December the £1 million already spent to carry out recent repairs can qualify as match funding.

Future Plans

It is believed that the balcony that overlooks pool 1 may need taking down and rebuilding. This is believed to have been caused by the concrete, which surrounds a steel skeleton, becoming porous over the years and allowing the steel within to rust.

Leaks from the shallow ends of both pools are believed to mean that a full replacement would be best in both cases as repairing them would be at best a short term solution. In addition a survey into the mechanical services to both the library and baths, which covered heating, ventilation and water services to the pools shows these will need to be replaced with the modern equivalents costing an estimated £600,000.

Conservation Management Plan

A high-level management meeting is take place soon to hopefully agree an additional £50,000 to fund a Conservation Management Plan for the library and baths. This plan is crucial, since it will show the Heritage Lottery what the Council’s plans are for these buildings and how they will be kept in use.

Your Say

The plan will involve asking users of the buildings – both employees and public – what they would like to see in the building. Local community groups will also be involved. Various options for the future use of the building will be drawn up. A business case will be put together to keep both pools open – however, if there is no wish to see both pools retained, then other uses for one of two pools may be investigated.

Possible Options

Talks have taken place with the Primary Care Trust to look at the future plans for the Edward Road Medical Centre at the rear of baths. The Primary Care Trust intends to significantly expand this surgery and wants to work in partnership with the Council. The first phase will be the building of an additional floor on the present surgery. Options of joining the surgery to the swimming baths are being investigated as part of phase 2.