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Baths are ‘link with our past’

‘Defeatist’ Town Hall criticised

LEISURE chiefs have been accused of failing to understand the historic significance of the Kentish Town swimming baths threatened with closure.
Dr Ian Dungavell, director of The Victorian Society, who was part of a deputation to Monday’s full council meeting, said that “cold-headed” talks about building a replacement swimming pool elsewhere would prove unpopular.
The New Journal exclusively revealed two weeks ago how the Town Hall has entered into talks with developers over the possibility of building a new pool at Talacre Sports Centre in Dalby Road, Kentish Town.
If that plan goes ahead, the council has admitted that the 100-year-old Prince of Wales Road baths would be surplus to requirements and in line to be sold.
Dr Dungavell, who lives in Gospel Oak and swims regularly at the threatened baths, said that more effort should be put into saving the building rather than dreaming up new projects.
He added: “The easy answer is to say we are sentimental about buildings but it’s true a lot of people in the community are attached to that building.
“To get rid of it would rupture a link with the past that people take seriously. They like the fact that they are swimming in a pool that people have swum in for so many years. You can’t just look at things on financial terms in cold-headed talks.”
Dr Dungavell added: “You can go to the Town Hall and you will see there is a picture of the baths hanging up there. It shows the link people have with this building. The community has great memories of swimming there and without it they will lose a link to the past.”
The Victorian Society was founded in 1956, with architecture critics John Betjeman and Nikolaus Pevsner among its original members.
It has since campaigned to save Victorian and Edwardian buildings throughout the country.
Dr Dungavell added: “We are suspicious of the costs to refurbish the building that have been suggested by the council.
“There are lots of people who would like to see why it costs up to £29 million to do this.
“There is also anger over why the council hasn’t looked after the building in the first place.
“It is a beautiful Grade-II listed building with lovely detail but it hasn’t been looked after in the way it should have been.”
Dr Dungavell added that the Town Hall could have made a greater effort to secure Lottery funds for the baths. He said: “The council has been defeatist about this.
“There is a Heritage fund they could have at least bid for money from.”
Camden’s Labour leisure chief Councillor Phil Turner accepted a 3,000–name petition at Monday’s meeting.
He said: “Whatever happens we can give an unequivocal undertaking that we intend to provide very high quality swimming, fitness and health facilities for Kentish Town.
“A decision will need to be taken as to whether this is best done in the existing building or at Talacre. The existing centre is a grade II-listed Victorian building and refurbishment would be extremely expensive.”
Cllr Turner was later accused by some campaigners of “reading off a sheet of paper” rather than answering concerns raised in the swimmers’ deputation.
He told the meeting: “The petition clearly demonstrates the very strong commitment of those signing it to the value of publicly provided swimming, sport and leisure facilities in Kentish Town.
“I want to make it quite clear that I and my colleagues fully share that commitment.”
 



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