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Friday 4th November, 2005

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BY RICHARD OSLEY

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Town Hall in search for site to house new baths

Talacre sports centre option thrown out because of lack of space

Baths campaigners collecting signatures for their petition in Kentish Town Road on Saturday

LEISURE chiefs hatched a plan to get rid of the crumbling Prince of Wales swimming baths in Kentish Town and build a replacement pool elsewhere, the New Journal has learned.
Labour finance chief Councillor John Mills confirmed on Tuesday that a plan to create a new pool at Talacre Sports Centre in Dalby Street, Kentish Town, had been considered, but was abandoned due to planning problems.
Other sites have also been looked at but the locations have not been made public.
Cllr Mills said: “We are looking at many options to find a solution to this. Talacre was something that was looked at to allow for a new pool.”
The proposals were discussed during a series of tense private meetings set up to find a solution to the repairs crisis at the Prince of Wales Road baths.
Labour councillors are unwilling to commit to spending the £17 million needed to save the pool. If they don’t, faulty maintenance will force it to close in the near future.
The latest revelations that leisure bosses had considered the cheaper solution of building a pool at Talacre and dispensing with the decaying pool at Kentish Town is the strongest sign yet that the Town Hall could axe the 100-year-old baths.
Cllr Mills said: “We all want to refurbish Kentish Town but it is a difficult position. We looked at other sites but it would not have been possible to get planning permission at Talacre. There isn’t room to build a pool there.”
He added that the bill for refurbishing the Kentish Town pool had soared and an initial underestimation of the work that was required.
Holborn and St Pancras Labour MP Frank Dobson said on Tuesday that the council needed to guarantee there would be a pool in the area – even if the Kentish Town baths were demolished. Mr Dobson said: “I like the façade. I’m not sure about inside. Maybe they could keep the façade and do something inside the building.
“I can understand the problems with costs but the council needs to be clear. If it was knocked down then the council needs to make sure there is a swimming pool for people in the area.”
Campaigners fighting to save the baths were in Kentish Town Road on Saturday gathering support for a petition that now has more than 500 names. They are planning to collect further signatures at Queen’s Crescent Market today (Thursday) and Saturday.

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