Carlisle councillors are being urged to back a motion on the future of the city’s baths.
The motion asks the council to retain the James Street Baths “for the health and well-being purposes as it was originally intended”.
Carlisle’s Victorian Health Suite is one of just a handful of similar facilities still operating in the UK and is a Grade II listed building.
The facility is commonly referred to as the Turkish Health Suite because of its style, which was inspired by Turkish baths popular throughout the Middle East.
It was completed in 1909 and is managed by GLL on behalf of Carlisle City Council.
Tomorrow, Carlisle City Council will debate the motion, which was tabled by Councillor Jo Ellis-Williams.
Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths are urging councillors to give their unanimous support for the motion as they believe the Turkish Baths could form the centrepiece of a new Health and Wellbeing Centre in the James Street Public Baths after the swimming pools relocate to The Sands Centre next year.
Under plans from the group, the main entrance would be relocated to the back of the public baths, to face the station viaduct wall where a new station entrance and car park are to be created as part of the Borderlands Station Gateway Project.
The group’s Vision also includes using one of the existing pools for hydrotherapy, creating therapy rooms, a fitness studio and gym and even a restaurant and bar.
Julie Minns, the group’s chairwoman, said; “The draft Carlisle Plan makes clear that the health and wellbeing of local residents and visitors is the council’s number one priority.
“Our vision not only supports the council’s plan, it also celebrates the heritage of public baths as a facility to support public health.
“The pandemic has reminded us all how vital public health services are and we hope that City Councillors will set aside their political differences and jointly commit to retaining, promoting and developing this unique facility”
In 2018 City Councillors voted to close the James Street baths and new swimming pools at The Sands Centre.
Although the City Council has said the Turkish Baths are to remain open, campaigners fear that they will struggle to survive as a standalone facility.
The group believe that the best chance of giving the Turkish Baths a long-term sustainable future would be as part of a Health and Wellbeing Centre, similar to the model adopted by the newly refurbished and reopened Newcastle City Baths.
