Update
on progress on 'Public Safety Works' to Moseley Road Baths during Winter 2004/5
- Wednesday, 21st September 2005 Two
pieces of news: 1)
we are still on target to re-open Pool 2 to the public on Sunday 9th October
2)
the Council have agreed in principle to fund a £200,000 Conservation Survey
of the baths building, subject to approval by the Cabinet. This survey kick starts
to the campaign to re-open Pool 1 to the public for swimming Progress
on works as of 14th September 2005 Chimney
The
rebuilding of the boiler House Chimney is complete, except for the refitting of
the cast iron cap. The cap was supposed to have been delivered back to site during
week starting 5th Sept. It is now expected to arrive on week starting 26th Sept.
The work on the
chimney will not prevent the re-opening of Pool 2 to the public Pool
2
The terracotta windows at each of the pool have been careful dismantled
and new terracotta blocks made to replace crumbling blocks. The
scaffolding at the shallow end of Pool 2 has been dismantled. The scaffolding
at the deep end should be removed by 16th Sept. After
the scaffolding has been taken out, all the electrical lights will be checked
for safety and modified/repaired if required. This should take a few days. We
have then set aside two weeks for swimming pool staff to carefully clean the pool
(removing any shape objects in the grouting between the tiles) and re-fill it.
Re-filling takes one week. Terracotta
Domes
The scaffolding on the frontage of the building is expected to have
been dismantled by 2nd October Roof
Work
is on going to repair as many leaks and missing gutterings/slates as possible.
Future
Restoration of Moseley Road Swimming Baths
A meeting took place on 20th
September between senior Council Officers and Cabinet Member john Alden, councillor
Martin Mullaney and Councillor Jerry Evans.
It
was agreed that our aim is to get both pools re-opened for swimming. It was agreed
that to assist in the process a full Conservation Survey of the building is needed.
It was agreed to allocated £200,000 to pay for this survey. A Cabinet paper
will now be prepared and presented to Cabinet for agreement in the next few weeks. The
Conservation Survey is being structured in accordance with what the Heritage Lottery
Funds will require for an HLF bid. It will do the following
· a full
structural survey of the building by a Conservation Architect. This survey would
include a full costing of restoration work for the entire building. The restoration
would involve returning the building to its original use. There is an ongoing
debate within the Council as to whether the true cost of restoration is £3million
or £10million. This survey will clarify that
· produce a
business plan for the building - this would include an assurance from the Council
that they would keep the building running as a swimming baths.
·
As part of the business plan, it will show public appreciation of the heritage
of the building will be improved - this could involve information displays or
even themed open days. HLF assume that the local community will use the baths.
· show how restoration could be done in phases. This is because
HLF finances are tight and they would rather spread them over several projects
instead of one. So for example, they would be interested in initially financing
getting Pool 1 back into use.
The £1million spent on the Winter works can be used as match funding against
a HLF bid, BUT the clock starts ticking from the moment the baths re-open on the
9th October. We have 12 months from that point to get a HLF bid in. | 
