Is there any websites about this place? I remember going to the place while I was at Park Hill School.

I would love to see it again including the boiler room and bath rooms.

Thanks?

Here's a Wikipedia article if it helps: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Library_and_Baths%2C_Balsall_Heath

Here's a Wikipedia article if it helps: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Library_and_Baths%2C_Balsall_Heath

I had found this but only shows the outside :(

Everyone in Moseley is arguing furiously with each other and collectively with the Balsall Heathens over the future of this very fine, and historically significant, building.

Apparantly it is going to cost £17million minimum to restore and bring one pool up to current standards with proper changing. The bill is only 'slightly' higher, £20m, for 2 pools working :nuts:. For comparison a similar facilty newbuild would be £4-5 million, and apparantly some community leaders in BH want to knock it down, although I think it is more a case of feeling patronised by Moseley building huggers.

It needs a fair bit of structural work they say and maintenance over the years has been poor. Although I must say it looks pretty solid to me from the front at least.

Its got a myspace page but I cant come up with a better picture. I'm on an email list with all the surveys they are doing as a prep for applying for lottery funds, I will dig them out.

Most of the info I got about this orignates from a Moseley yahoogroup run by the Lib Dem councillor, Martin Mullaney. I dont like politicians much but his website includes some excellent photos of the structural problems at the baths. One of the main problems seems to be that the place is riddled with corroded steels. Damn you victorian builders experimenting with new fangled building materials.

http://www.martinmullaney.co.uk/moseley-road-baths.htm
http://www.martinmullaney.co.uk/images-moseley-road-baths/site-visit-2005-february9th-2.jpg
http://www.martinmullaney.co.uk/images-moseley-road-baths/site-visit-2005-february9th-3.jpg

this should look familar Mark, Although you wouldnt want to jump in just yet.

http://www.martinmullaney.co.uk/images-moseley-road-baths/site-visit-2005-oct1st-1.jpg

this should look familar Mark, Although you wouldnt want to jump in just yet.

http://www.martinmullaney.co.uk/images-moseley-road-baths/site-visit-2005-oct1st-1.jpg

Very :D

I do remember the toilets in the corner to. Horrible disgusting high level cistern toilets that smelt disgusting :D

^^^Hold tight all the crew the know about those toilets!

when i was young i swam there every week - the far end had toilets that used to be full of turds, and the urine spilled over and ran into the pool - no joke! When you swam down that end you could feel the water suddenly get cold as the wee made it cooler.

Also there was a massive black grating at the bottom of the deep end, when i was scared of and swam twice as fast over it incase a monster came out and got me

:lol: Kids' imaginations are great!

I think that this building ought to be saved on principle. Councils too often let their buildings fall apart (but are quick to jump on private owners if they let a listed building/attractive building go) so the council should learn a hard (and expensive) lesson.

I don't believe that it will cost that much to sort it. I have only worked on one renovation of a Victorian building, but it wasn't anywhere near as much as that. Do we really believe that 1 swimming baths will cost half of the entire restoration of the Town Hall?

I know the Tories will blame the Labour council, and they'll blame Margaret Thatcher etc etc but political leaders are here today gone tomorrow. The baths have been there for over 100 years, and Brummies like using them, so it is a no-brainer.

Maybe then a small percentage of the council budget will be allocated to maintaining its listed buildings.

Give it a modern make over Urban Splash-style and create an Olympics sized pool! Demolish some houses in the process if need be.

It's a bit too small for an Olympic pool n'est ce pas?

I mean like extend it out so it has a modern addition to an old structure creating a good contrast like Fort Dunlop. Hence the demolition of houses if need be.

I used to work at Moseley Road as a lifeguard. We had a special net for getting the poos out after school swimming lessons. Kids also used to love getting all the soap out of the dispensers in the loos mixing it up with loo paper and chucking all over the place - grrrr.

There is a group looking to set up a Friends group to help support / push the council's funding plans but politicians / conflicting interests are adding to the challenges.

Im doing my MA dissertation later this year on Bham's old swimming baths - with special focus on Moseley Road. Ive got quite a few pics already but dont know how to post em.

Member's photos etc, gratefully received!

I used to work at Moseley Road as a lifeguard. We had a special net for getting the poos out after school swimming lessons. Kids also used to love getting all the soap out of the dispensers in the loos mixing it up with loo paper and chucking all over the place - grrrr.

There is a group looking to set up a Friends group to help support / push the council's funding plans but politicians / conflicting interests are adding to the challenges.

Im doing my MA dissertation later this year on Bham's old swimming baths - with special focus on Moseley Road. Ive got quite a few pics already but dont know how to post em.

Member's photos etc, gratefully received!

If you would to send them to me via msn or email i will happily post them on your behalf.

thanks mark, i just tried but couldnt get it to work - inept technically.

The best pix should be in the conservation plan which is currently being produced for the council - should be publicly available soon.

also check out www.moseleyshoals.org.uk which is a gay swimming group who campaign in their speedos!

long live moseley baths, harborne baths tiverton road baths, and sparkhill baths.

but rip stirchley, sigh.

I did find this

http://www.batista.co.uk/images/MoseleyRoadBaths.mov

Good news from the BCC website:

Historic baths in Birmingham will be officially reopened next week after being given a new lease of life thanks to a £417,500 refit.

Linden Road baths will be formally reopened on 30th January by the Leader of Birmingham City Council, Cllr Mike Whitby, following works which saw the 71-year-old pool refurbished.

During the closure of the pool, from September to December last year, a new roof, reception area and disabled access was installed to make it a more modern facility for the thousands of people that use it every year.

Cadburys in Bournville has owned the pool since it was opened by Edward Cadbury in April 1936, but Birmingham City Council has leased the property since 1984 and it now has the largest swimming instruction programme in the whole of Birmingham.

Leader of Birmingham City Council, Cllr Mike Whitby said: “For decades the pool has provided a focal point for the local community, one where people of all ages can come and enjoy themselves without having to travel miles and miles. So to see the restoration work complete and the building ready to thrive once more is a real cause for celebration for generations to come.”

These pictures are on the myspace page for the baths

http://a766.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/16/l_da468d5fc44552ebe961c87f7eecdbb5.jpg


http://a136.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/21/l_e1e9d8a9794f617e77ea9c9d574f5ed7.jpg

brings back childhood memories ;-)

There is quite a hoo-ha going on over this. The £300 000 report commissioned by the council advises that it will cost between £18 & 30 million to restore.

Now, this raises a couple of issues:

Martin Mullaney suggests that the costs are being over-hyped to kill the project off. Maybe, maybe not. But why not do as he suggests and cost the project to bring it up to the "as-built" standard rather than a modern standard? Was the old version dysfunctional? I am sure many people would like to use an old-fashioned baths.

Why does a consultant, who charges £300 000 not have the ability to give a firmer price?

IMO if it costs £30m to rectify the problem, then council money would be better spent elsewhere. This doesn't mean the building is doomed though - a sympathetic redevelopment into another use could save it.

Already posted it but goes better in Moseley Road Bath's thread.


Crisis of trust in Birmingham City Council
Russ | 16.10.2007 13:46 |

Friends of Moseley Road Baths suspect Birmingham City Council (BCC) are going to keep the report on future of Moseley Road Baths secret until too late. BCC had said cost of repairs is £30m. Reliable source says more like £12m.

PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE

CRISIS OF TRUST IN COUNCIL

Friends of Moseley Road Baths are increasingly wary and distrustful of Birmingham City Council (BCC) following the council’s handling of the Central Library and their treatment of the Friends of Central Library.

Concerns are growing that the future of Moseley Road Baths will be dealt with in much the same ‘behind closed doors’ manner and that any community involvement or wishes will be ignored.

As with the Central Library the council have commissioned a report into Moseley Road Baths and so far they have not disclosed any part of it. An attempt to get disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act has failed and there are fears that the council will keep the details secret until it is too late to have any meaningful comment on it’s content.

‘Issues such as the Central Library and Moseley Road Baths put the council’s talk of involving communities and public consultation to the test. On the library they have failed dismally. We are being kept in the dark and are conscious that as time goes by the council will be advancing their plans regardless of public opinion. We are further alarmed by the council’s intention not to disclose any financial details behind their reasoning for the library until the decision was ‘rubber stamped’, especially as the last figure made public by the council for repairs to the baths was a very high £30m. We have it from a reliable source that the figure is nearer £12m far less than was expected.’
Russ Spring, Chair FoMRB

Friends of Moseley Road Baths call on the council to introduce transparency to the process and announce a date for releasing the report into the future of Moseley Road Baths.

ENDS

Russ Spring (Chair)

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/383794.html

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/images/2007/10/383798.jpg

From the Times. Interesting article linked to the discussion on Library thread about preserving our past or moving on.


From The Times
October 27, 2007

All fall down
How much of our Victorian past will we fight to save
Richard Morrison

A nation’s attitude to its buildings is a pretty good indication of its cultural priorities. Many Italian towns seem to have been frozen, architecturally, in the 16th century. At the other extreme, some US cities take the view that if a skyscraper is more than ten years old it’s overdue for replacement by something taller and shinier.

In Britain, land of compromise, we duck and weave between these extremes. If a building went up before 1800 we fight to preserve it, no matter how decrepit. If, on the other hand, it went up later than 1950 we clamour for demolition, on the (admittedly fairly reliable) principle that it’s probably a hideous eyesore.

But that leaves a large, contentious grey area. Victoriana, Edwardiana, suburbiana – we sense that the derided styles of the 19th and early 20th centuries might have their merits. But we rarely man the barricades if a redeveloper’s wrecking-ball hovers.

Which brings me to the Victorian Society’s new Top Ten Endangered Buildings list. Betjemanesque fogeys will doubtless be horrified if a single one of these Victorian and Edwardian edifices disappears. But how many should the public care about?

On paper the Grade I-listed Shadwell Park in Norfolk seems a prime candidate for a restoration campaign. The society calls it a “Gothic extravaganza”, and it certainly looks like a film set for something involving naked virgins, Christopher Lee and lashings of tomato ketchup. But the problem, as the society admits, is that the place is privately owned, and the owner himself doesn’t seem to care much about its condition. Why, then, should we?

I had another “what’s the point?” moment when I read about the public baths at Ashton-under-Lyne. Yes, its Italianate hammerbeam roof sounds stunning. But the baths themselves were filled with concrete years ago. They will never fulfil their original use, and even the society can’t imagine what else they are good for. On the other hand, the imposing Balsall Heath Baths in Birmingham are still used, but need £30 million of repairs. I imagine that Birmingham Council has more pressing calls on its budget, but it seems a pity for a city that doesn’t exactly heave with fine architecture to pull the plug (literally) on a viable municipal building with genuine aesthetic merits. The same goes for the mock-Tudor Mechanics Institute in Swindon – especially as local preservation enthusiasts are keen to take it on, if Swindon Council would let them.

The rest? I’d love to see the marbled Crocker’s Public House, near Lords Cricket Ground, back in use. But if a London boozer has been boarded up, there’s usually a good economic reason why. I also believe that, sensitively handled, the magnificent (but soon to be closed) St Walburge’s Church in Preston and the grand Old Town Hall in Sheffield could have a residential use.

In the end, though, a town gets the heritage it deserves. If enough people fight hard enough, fine buildings are saved. Have a look at the society’s list – there’s bound to be an endangered edifice near you – and then decide whether you care enough to kick up a fuss. www.victoriansociety.org.uk


http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/whats_on/article2724705.ece

Just find the money Council - this is a very important swimming pool for thousands of local people and is an architectural gem to be proud of. I'm fed up with money getting in the way of decisions and issues of paramount importance. There's plenty of money about that could save this pool and enough to re-open Stirchley's one too.

Not looking good:

Fears for Moseley Road Baths

Dec 13 2007

By Paul Dale


The chances of a historic Birmingham swimming pool being fully re-opened appeared to be receding last night after the city's leisure chief said he was opposed to the "barminess" of modernising old facilities.

Ray Hassall, cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, said it was time to build new multi-purpose sports centres rather than spending millions of pounds patching up decaying buildings.

Centres, with fun pools, jacuzzis and health clubs, were proving popular in other West Midlands cities and were likely to be used by more people than baths built in the first half of the last century, he told a scrutiny committee.

Coun Hassall (Lib Dem Perry Barr) did not disagree when it was suggested to him the cost of fully re-opening the 100-year-old Moseley Road Baths would be more than £20 million.

A consultants' report prepared for the council reportedly sets out a range of costs from £17 million to £30 million, but is yet to be released publicly.

His views put him at odds with fellow Lib Dem Martin Mullaney who described Coun Hassall's comments as "shocking" and said the money to restore the Moseley Road complex could be found if the political will was there.

The council spent £1 million on urgent repairs two years ago and the smaller, less ornate of the two Moseley Road pools re-opened to the public in 2006.

Coun Hassall told the committee he would be guided by a sports masterplan for Birmingham, being drawn up by the council and Sport England.

He warned the financial drain of the 2012 London Olympic Games on Government funding made it less likely that Birmingham would be able to undertake expensive renovation projects.

The Heritage Lottery Fund, a possible source of cash for the Moseley Baths, now stands at only £19 million compared with £100 million a decade ago.

The council also faces an unexpected £3 million repair bill for the Wyndley Road swimming pool in Sutton Coldfield - up from an original estimate of £300,000 after asbestos was discovered in the ventilation system.

Coun Hassall said the restoration of the Moseley Road Baths had turned out to be a far more expensive project than was first estimated. Use of the baths was poor compared with participation rates at new sports centre, he added.

Coun Hassall said: "My job is to look at the strategic resources of the city and how we are going to go forward. The running costs of some of these modern pools are far cheaper than the ones we have got.

"I am not crazy about continually repairing. There is a case for me that the council has to take a decision to start knocking down and building new. When you put new in, people go.

"We are stuck in this barminess of putting new stuff in buildings that are 70 or 80 years old. We have to ask ourselves, when do you stop and start building new?"

A spokeswoman for Coun Hassall later stressed there was no intention to close the Moseley Road Baths.

Coun Mullaney (Lib Dem Moseley & Kings Heath) said: "He hasn't discussed any of this with the Liberal Democrat group. I had a meeting only last week with Ray to talk about Moseley Road Baths and he gave no indication that these were his feelings.

"There is a lot of work that needs to be done to get the baths restored, but there is a good business case to be made. Obviously we have to find the funding but if the political will was there it wouldn't be a problem.

"The council has to find the money for an expensive new library in Centenary Square but that isn't an issue because the political will to do it is there. There is in my view no reason why the money to fully restore Moseley Road Baths cannot be found."

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/news/tm_headline=fears-for-moseley-road-baths%26method=full%26objectid=20244159%26siteid=50002-name_page.html

I am a bit mixed about this.

If the council do it up and it is not well patronised, then it will be an immense cockup and the money would have been better spent on a new facility somewhere else.

If they can guarantee it will be well-used then it is worth doing IMO. If they can't then can it not be restored, but just not as a swimming pool?

I'm with you there Bio.

I think that much as i love the pool as long as the ceiling and the general design is kept a community use would be better to keep the building intact and a new centre built that would be more patronised.
I can't think from memory if there is space behind for an extension to be added but that would seem a good option too where one of the two pools is retained and new facilities added next door.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/breakingnews/tm_headline=birmingham-council-may-replace-historic-old-baths-with-new-facilities%26method=full%26objectid=20243529%26siteid=50002-name_page.html


Birmingham Council may replace historic old baths with new facilities
Dec 13 2007

By Neil Elkes, Local Government Correspondent, Birmingham Mail



BIRMINGHAM'S historic swimming pools and leisure centres may be replaced with modern state-of-the-art sports centres under a new masterplan.

Council leisure bosses are considering ditching ageing and poorly maintained pools such as Moseley Road Baths and Erdington Pool and Turkish Baths under the plan.

They believe that new sports centres with fun pools, saunas and fitness clubs would prove more popular and more cost effective to city residents.

Cabinet member for sport and leisure Coun Ray Hassall said that decisions would be made early next year once Sport England had completed a masterplan assessment of facilities in the city.

He was speaking at the leisure scrutiny committee where the cost of a complete restoration of the century old Moseley Road Baths would cost up to £20 million.


He said: "These pools are about 80 to 100 years old and have been poorly maintained for decades.


"In Wolverhampton they took the decision to close a pool and build a brand new one with all the modern facilities; a jaccuzzi, sauna, steam room and gym.


"The participation rate was 6,000 a month before and 40,000 a month after the new pool opened. It shows that people will use a new pool.


"Our ageing buildings might be why we are among the lowest of the core UK cities for adult participation in sport," he added.


He added that with modern energy efficiency measures such as Combined Heat and Power systems the running costs of new pools are much lower.


The leisure scrutiny committee has demanded a full report on the status of Moseley Road Baths to be presented at a meeting early in the New Year.


Chairman Coun John Alden said: "Moseley Road Baths presents us with a major challenge.


"The thorough refurbishment and getting both pools open would cost anything from £5 to £20 million.


"But until there is a proper feasibility study, we are just plucking figures out of the air."

Tend to agree with the council. Need to find alternative use for baths, perhaps with local popn in mind esp in Balsall Heath. I go to Victorian/Edwardian baths in Selly Oak. They are hardly rammed with punters. BUT the beautiful baths on Bournville site look in pretty good nick Cadburys please open them up again!

Given that it looks like the council have agreed to let Tesco build a huge store in Stirchley, is there any reason why they couldn't be 'asked' to fund the renovation of the baths on Bournville Lane? Some cockeyed scheme I've seen proposes using the building as a 'community centre' but why on earth should we not be able to get a huge company like Tesco to pay for what could still be a beautiful building and valuable community resource - i learnt to swim in there and at Northfield and it hacks me off every time I see it all boarded up with trees growing out of it...:ohno:

He said: "These pools are about 80 to 100 years old and have been poorly maintained for decades.

"In Wolverhampton they took the decision to close a pool and build a brand new one with all the modern facilities; a jaccuzzi, sauna, steam room and gym.

"The participation rate was 6,000 a month before and 40,000 a month after the new pool opened. It shows that people will use a new pool.

"Our ageing buildings might be why we are among the lowest of the core UK cities for adult participation in sport," he added.

Fuck me, well done Sherlock :ohno:

I have no urge to swim in what is a poorly maintained public toilet. Refurbish it to modern standards then I'd consider it.

I have no urge to swim because I have an allergy to something in the water. I think it might be the chlorine.

Given that it looks like the council have agreed to let Tesco build a huge store in Stirchley, is there any reason why they couldn't be 'asked' to fund the renovation of the baths on Bournville Lane? Some cockeyed scheme I've seen proposes using the building as a 'community centre' but why on earth should we not be able to get a huge company like Tesco to pay for what could still be a beautiful building and valuable community resource - i learnt to swim in there and at Northfield and it hacks me off every time I see it all boarded up with trees growing out of it...:ohno:

Do we have any more news on the Stirchley scheme. There is a thing at back of restaurant in Co-op about 'community centre' scheme for Bournville Pool but dated last year with the date for decision well passed.

I have no urge to swim because I have an allergy to something in the water. I think it might be the chlorine.no, it's probably the piss

How much did this joke coalition spend on investigating the option of an underground?

Without a doubt it is an impressive Victorian Building.

20-30m is a lot of money, where will this be spent???? As in, what's the break-down?
(The cost is similar to each tiny bit of the London Underground they are refurbishing in London -most of the money is inflated and goes to back pockets and companies that go bust like Metrolink).

Better news from the Post today. Time for Lib Dems to twist the knife in the tories and ensure they do what the promised.


Secret report has plan to save Moseley Road baths
Dec 17 2007

By Paul Dale, Public Affairs Editor


A report into the future of Moseley Road Baths, which Birmingham City Council is refusing to make public, sets out a strong business case for a £23 million full restoration of the historic Edwardian building.

Council leisure cabinet member Ray Hassall is continuing to sit on the document, which was completed at the end of the summer, but The Birmingham Post understands it recommends going ahead with a community-based project that would also include improving the neighbouring Moseley Library.

The scheme, which could be partly funded by money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, would show a healthy profit for the council after 25 years, according to the report.

Private consultants, who compiled the study at the council's request, set out the case for restoration of the room containing the second pool, which is closed at the moment. But it is believed they suggest boarding over the pool itself, allowing the space generated to be used by community groups.

Income from people and organisations using the room, and from a cafe, would help meet the cost of maintaining the first pool, which reopened to the public in 2006 after a £1 million refurbishment.

Enlarging and modernising the changing rooms would improve the through-put of school swimming sessions and also boost income levels. The consultants also addressed the possibility of re-opening the second, larger, pool.

While the cost of doing so would be slightly less than the favoured option, such a course of action would make the project difficult to fund because it would not generate income from community use.

Coun Hassall (Lib Dem Perry Barr), who told a scrutiny committee last week that he was opposed to the "barminess" of modernising old swimming pools, is unwilling to publish the report until March, when the results of a Sport England investigation into the future of leisure services in Birmingham will be available.

However, he is coming under intense pressure from fellow Liberal Democrat councillors to issue a statement pledging full restoration and safeguarding the future of the Moseley Road Baths, which are the last remaining example in the country of a working publiclyowned Edwardian swimming pool.

Restoration of the baths was a "non-negotiable" demand in the 2004 power-sharing agreement setting up the city council's ruling Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.


Coun Hassall's remarks to the scrutiny committee, when he appeared to be favouring the provision of new leisure centres and fun-pools rather than spending money on restoring Birmingham's Victorian and Edwardian heritage, infuriated a number of Liberal Democrat councillors.


Addressing the committee Coun Hassall said: "I am not crazy about continually repairing. There is a case for me that the council has to take a decision to start knocking down and building new. When you put new in, people go."


Coun Martin Mullaney (Lib Dem Moseley & Kings Heath), who has been campaigning for full restoration of the baths, has been allowed by Coun Hassall to see a copy of the consultants' report on the understanding that he does not disclose details.


But parts of the report have been gradually leaking out in recent weeks and yesterday Coun Mullaney wrote on The Stirrer website that "the consultants' report put forward a solid business case for retaining swimming in the building, such that the building is in profit after 25 years".


Coun Mullaney added: "Whether the report should be released now or at the end of March is up for debate. I believe it should be released now and have made those views clear to the cabinet member."


Coun Mullaney told The Post: "I would love to be able to discuss the finer details of the report, but I am unable to do so. I have said that I think the report should be published straight away, and I really cannot see any valid reason for not doing so."

Coun Hassall was unavailable for comment.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/news/tm_headline=secret-report-has-plan-to-save-moseley-road-baths%26method=full%26objectid=20260309%26siteid=50002-name_page.html

And the Mail's article on it.


Question marks grow over future of Moseley Road baths in Birmingham
Dec 17 2007

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/icbirmingham/nov2006/4/2/334AD5A7-0618-336E-2737E8C7D026F2E9.jpg

SENIOR Liberal Democrats in Birmingham were at loggerheads today over crumbling Moseley Road Swimming Baths.

Cabinet leisure chief Coun Ray Hassall (Lib Dem, Perry Barr) came under fire over his refusal to release a confidental report into the historic Edwardian building.

The report is believed to outline a business case for the £23 million restoration of the building as a pool and community centre.

Coun Hassall revealed last week that he is considering building new swimming pools rather than patching up and repair the city's 100-year-old baths.

The confidential report is believe to recommend keeping the smaller of the two pools at Moseley Road and flooring over the larger one to create a community hall.


Coun Hassall has now come under fire from Coun Martin Mullaney (Lib Dem, Moseley and Kings Heath) who is campaigning for the baths' restoration.


He is calling for the report to be released now rather than in March, when a Sport England inquiry into the city's swimming provision is published.


"I believe it should be released now and have made those views clear to the cabinet member. I really cannot see any valid reason for not doing so.


"I would love to be able to discuss the finer details of the report, but I am unable to do so," added Coun Mullaney, the transport scrutiny committee chairman.


The pool's restoration was part of a Liberal Democrat election pledge in 2004 and a key part of their power sharing agreement with the Conservative group.


The smaller pool was re-opened last year following a £1Êmillion partial restoration.


Coun Hassall told the leisure scrutiny committee last week that there was a strong case for mothballing the old pools as they are costly to repair and run, and lack modern facilities.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/mail/news/tm_headline=question-marks-grow-over-future-of-moseley-road-baths-in-birmingham%26method=full%26objectid=20260919%26siteid=50002-name_page.html

Article quotes - Moseley Road Baths, which are the last remaining example in the country of a working publiclyowned Edwardian swimming pool.

Funny I was swimming yesterday in tiverton rd baths which has a giant 1906 over the entrance as I recall. Perhaps I was dreaming. £23m seems an awful lot to board over a swimming pool. Apparently 1000s of people use these pools. Tiverton Rd was hardly rammed yesterday. But hey why not open up Stirchley too we can all have a Victorian swimming bath each!

I live in Stirchley. If they are going to spend £20m on something there I can think of a lot of other things I would prefer to the swimming baths being renovated. It is the land that time forgot after all. I am sure a lot of Balsall Heath residents would concur with that.

There is way too much disinformation in these articles. But on the whole I still think Hassall is right

p.s. Joe, when is a quiet day to go swimming in Selly Oak? I want to go but don't want to go when all the students are around or when it's busy.
The Bournville one's would suit me as they would be closer (just).

only ever been Sundays to tiv rd but they do lane swimming Sun afternoon felttip, about 6 people there last week when I left. Everyone else at Fitness First I guess

Cheers Joe

From Today's Post


Moseley road baths' should be knocked down
Jan 9 2008

The politician in charge of Birmingham's civic swimming pools and leisure centres has reasserted his belief that facilities built 70 or 80 years ago should be knocked down and replaced by modern buildings.

Councillor Ray Hassall was criticised when he first raised the subject before Christmas after his remarks were interpreted as a threat to the future of Moseley Road Baths, which face a £20 million-plus restoration bill.

Speaking at a meeting of the full city council yesterday, Coun Hassall (Lib Dem Perry Barr) made it clear that he would do everything possible to fully re-open the Moseley Road Baths.

However, Coun Hassall, who is the cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, said he stood by his belief that it would be more cost effective and provide a better leisure service to demolish pre-war buildings with high maintenance costs.

He made no apology for claiming it would be "barmy" to continue pouring money into modernising old buildings.

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/birminghampost/news/tm_headline=moseley-road-baths-should-be-knocked-down%26method=full%26objectid=20329664%26siteid=50002-name_page.html

:bash::bash::bash:

This building is a masterpiece, how can he want it replaced with some modern identikit pool.

They would never knock it down anyway - change its use, maybe.

so short-sighted I my opinions, old buildings make cities great and new good quality buildings make them modern and everything in-between adds character…its not like we have a wealth of this kind of buildings in the city.