A glimmer of hope for the fate of Carlisle’s historic baths have been heard at the city council this week.
The Health and Wellbeing Panel met at Carlisle City Council on Thursday, discussing a feasibility study for the James Street Baths and Turkish Health Suite.
The study was carried out to find feasible uses for the Turkish Baths when new swimming facilities are introduced at the Sands Centre. A £27 million redevelopment of The Sands Centre will see GLL moving its swimming provision to the venue from the pool on James Street.
The 1970s swimming pool could be demolished after GLL relocates but the adjacent Turkish Baths will remain.
Carlisle City Council has previously stated that there is no budget for the Turkish Baths after the refurbishment of the Sands Centre and they will close beyond that point.
Members of campaign group, The Friends of the Victorian Baths, attended the meeting to give their vision for the future. They hope that although the 1970s building could be demolished, wellbeing benefits of the Turkish Baths will remain available to Carlisle residents.
Chairwoman of the campaign group Julie Minns said: “We are a group of volunteers, we’ve been in existence for just 10 months and what we’ve achieved in those 10 months in terms of doubling usage and raising awareness about Carlisle’s historic baths is testimony to our commitment to this part of Carlisle’s living heritage.
“I would emphasise that, this isn’t a museum piece, it’s a piece of living heritage that continues to play an active part in supporting the health and wellbeing of our local residents.”
Campaigners called for the baths to transfer to community ownership and remain open.
Mrs Minns said: “We believe there’s huge potential for these baths to be a unique visitor attraction for the city and we want to ensure that it continues to support the health and wellbeing of residents as it has done for 138 years.
“We would retain the buildings and develop them restoring not just the Turkish Baths to their original condition but the 20 metre pool which as the Statement of Significance highlights, does have a number of original features underneath some of the adaptations that have been made.”
Mrs Minns said that the baths have been “effectively supporting health and wellbeing for well over a century”.
Friends of the Victorian Baths hope for a restoration project, increasing capacity and creating a community laundry.
The group asked for time to prepare their own feasibility study, exploring the potential for their vision of the baths. Mrs Minns also asked the council that budget is allocated if the baths are not to close this summer.
She said: “There are two points that the council needs to address, one is what will happen in the interim, between now and the demolition of the 1970s pools. The baths remain in the ownership of the city council, if they are going to remain open, budget needs to be found.”
She also asked that officers work with the group on their proposal to transfer the baths to community ownership.
Council leader John Mallinson said: “We will not get into that awful problem of the crown owning something it is not prepared to do anything with. It is a listed building so we couldn’t knock it down even if we wanted to. I’m sure nobody wants a derelict building standing in what should be a very exciting area for Carlisle.
“It must be refurbished. Community asset transfer, it would seem like a perfectly logical thing to do.”
The first and third recommendation to the executive were agreed.
Cllr Colin Glover asked the executive to “consider options and potential operators for keeping the Turkish Baths open after the new Sands pool opens until such time demolition begins and identify a budget to enable that to happen”.
He said: “We would be doing that anyway. If we were doing that and we got anywhere with it, we’d identify a budget.”
Although the vote was not passed, Mrs Minns said that it was really great to hear that the council was considering the option of a community asset transfer and the continuation of the baths in the medium term.
A private spa facility was mooted in the report as a potential use for the Turkish Baths building, to continue offering health and wellbeing provision at the Grade II listed building. Another potential use for the building considered in the study was for civic and public sector functions.
However, Ms Minns noted at the meeting that in-person conference events were in decline.
Regardless of its future uses, councillors on either side of the political spectrum said that they would be opposed to the idea of converting the listed building into a nightclub or bar.
Cllr Glover said: “Does it go out to private sector? My big worry on that is are we talking about private spa operator or are we talking about a nightclub, because that would horrify me, if that was where we ended up with this, that the building ends up, not as a health facility at all and it just becomes party central for people who want to come to Carlisle for a stag do. That would just be horrific.”
Cllr Mallinson said: “I think I’d join you on the barricades if anybody wanted to make it into a nightclub, Cllr Glover. I do not envisage a restaurant, coffee shop, shopping arcade, whatever.”
The campaign group said it was encouraged by Cllr Mallinson’s comments, and added hope was not lost for the historic baths.
Cllr Mallinson said: “I haven’t lost vision that the Turkish Baths can survive and prosper and be a significant addition to the offer in Carlisle, however, I do see issues and problems, it’s quite a tough call. We’re not slamming any doors, we’re not saying they will close in the autumn, we’re trying to highlight the difficulties.”
The full council will next meet at the Civic Centre on Tuesday March 1 from 6.45pm and has received a request to ask questions from a member of the public.
The resident will ask: “How many days before or after completion of the 98-week project to redevelop The Sands Centre, will the pools at the Sands Centre open?”
In a follow-up question, they will ask the city council leadership: “How many days before or after completion of the 98 week project to redevelop The Sands Centre ends and GLL cease to operate the Swimming Pools, would the council have had to have appointed an operator for the Turkish Baths to ensure that facility remains open to the public after the James Street Pools close?”
The historic Turkish Baths building is currently set to close when the adjacent James Street Baths building is demolished.
Demolition is likely to take place after GLL staff are transferred to the redeveloped Sands Centre which will be the new home of swimming provision in Carlisle when it is completed.
