NEWS ARCHIVE:
Only the Government can Save the Baths now 20 May 2010 >
Vote for the Candidate who will Save the Baths 6 May 2010 >
Hundreds Marched to Save the Baths March 2010 >
Victoria Leisure Centre to close in weeks February 2010 >
Prevent the Council from Demolishing Victoria Baths 15 March 2009 >
Designs for the new Victoria Leisure Centre unveiled 5 January 2009 >
Shocking Discovery About The True Cost of the Victoria Leisure Centre 13 November 2008 >
New Survey Shows Majority Want To Make The Existing Victoria Leisure Centre Better 1 November 2008 >
Architects Appointed To Develop Leisure Centre and Brook Street Site 22 October 2008 >
Council Move The Goalposts 20 October 2008 >
The Council Is Trying To Sideline The Campaign Group 28 September 2008>
Working Group Formed 24 June 2008 >
What Happened Before? Update 31 March 2008 >
ONLY THE GOVERNMENT CAN SAVE THE BATHS NOW. EMAIL THEM.
At a deeply depressing meeting this week, the Council approved plans to rebuild the Victoria Leisure Centre. The only thing that now stands between the Baths and the wrecking ball is Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles MP. As the Baths are in a Conservation area the Council cannot demolish them without his permission. If we can pursaude Mr Pickles to decline permission the Council will be forced back to the negotiating table. We can then begin to press our case once more for the Leisure Centre we have all asked for - a complete renewal of the existing facilities.
We have to bombard Mr Pickles with letters and emails before FRIDAY MAY 28th asking him to delay any demolition.
The argument is very simple. The Council has no democratic mandate to go ahead with their plans. It was not in their manifesto. It is not what was asked for in the consultations, where the over-whelming response (80%) was to keep the existing centre but to improve it and where the majority voted the design option which retained most of the existing facilities and not the Council's preferred option. This important local issue needs to put before an electorate next year. Any development must be postponed until after the forthcoming local elections.
Please send your emails to eric@ericpickles.com and copy in Bob Neill neillb@parliament.uk
Please send your letters to Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU
This really is the last stand for our Leisure Centre. If each one of us sends one email, the better our chances are of getting the Leisure Centre we all asked for. If Mr Pickles grants permission it is all over.
Thanks as ever for your continued support.
2010 - ELECTION DAY ON MAY 6TH - VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATE WHO WILL SAVE THE BATHS
The national election is on May 6th and the campaign wants the Nottingham East MP to be right behind our efforts to save the baths. Of the candidates, the LIB-DEMS (Sam Boote) and the CONSERVATIVES (Ewan Lamont) have gone as far as to make a campaign promise in writing to refurbish rather than demolish the Victoria Leisure Centre. The LABOUR candidate (Chris Leslie) has not yet given this assurance.
3464 SIGNATURES, 233 LETTERS and HUNDREDS MARCHED TO SAVE THE BATHS - THANKS!
Hundreds marched in protest at the Council's plans to close the Centre before anyone has even seen their plans to demolish and rebuild it, and on 8 February 2010 a petition of 3464 signatures (collected in just three weeks!) along with 233 letters was handed to the Council asking them to keep the Centre open until planning permission has been granted for any new development.
But the Council has simply ignored us all! In response to the mass demonstrations and petitioning which reflects the tremendous outpouring of anger at the closure of the Baths, the Council has not bothered to issue a formal reply. Instead, the Campaign has received an attempted Facebook message(!) from Councillor Jon Collins.
Please click here to read his message and our response >
VICTORIA LEISURE CENTRE TO CLOSE IN WEEKS - AND NO PLANS TO REBUILD
NEW SURVEY SHOWS MAJORITY WANT TO MAKE THE EXISTING VICTORIA LEISURE CENTRE BETTER
1 November 2008
On Saturday 1 November , braving the wind & cold, campaign stalwarts Tom & Fidel set up shop at Sneinton Market to give people a chance to voice their opinions on whether they’d rather an all-new purpose built leisure centre, or whether they’d rather save the best bits of the existing building whilst making it more modern.
In total, 92% of those surveyed said they’d rather save the best bits of the existing building whilst making it more modern.
The campaign posed this question to clarify the results of the Tell Us Your View survey undertaken by the Council in March 08 , where 80% wished to keep the existing facilities and 93% of those surveyed would rather see Nottingham City Council put the money they promised into making VLC better.
Download a full analysis of the results >
ARCHITECTS APPOINTED TO DEVELOP LEISURE CENTRE AND BROOK STREET SITE
22 October 2008
In October this year, London based architects, Levitate were appointed to produce an Options and Feasibility Study for the redevelopment of the Victoria Leisure Centre and the adjoining cleared site on Brook Street. The Options and Feasibility study will examine how the site could be redeveloped to provide a new leisure facility, to include a swimming pool, within a mix of other uses that will encourage the regeneration of this area.
This study will put forward 3 options for the Council to consider.
The Campaign would like to know:
COUNCIL MOVE THE GOALPOSTS
20 October 2008
The Council has just announced that they are committed to “replacing the old centre with a new swimming pool, that would form part of the major redevelopment scheme for the Sneinton Market and Eastside area."
However, in March the Executive Board “confirmed their earlier decision to close the centre"...and..."committed to providing a replacement facility either on the existing site, at the new Eastside Academy or elsewhere locally on the east side of the city".
Why the change of heart?
Download the answer the Council would rather you didn’t know >
Now would be a great time for a Local Authority to take advantage of the downturn in the construction industry to refurbish the Baths to a high standard but cheaply using the money that they have already pledged (if they have any cash left at all after the Icelandic adventures, that is). All the effort going in to trying to make clever, complex deals could instead by focussed on how to use the immense amount of community energy invested in the Baths to ensure their successful long term future management: Development Trust, anyone?
THE COUNCIL IS TRYING TO SIDELINE THE CAMPAIGN GROUP
28 September 2008
The Council is trying to sideline the campaign group by saying it's listening and working in partnership but in fact doing the opposite.
We spent long hours during May, June & July meeting with the Council to agree an Architect's brief for the new developments at the Victoria Leisure Centre but the brief that went out missed several key elements: that there must be 2 pools, and that there must one reception area with excellent connectivity to the Market place. It was pushed out over the summer holidays whilst people were away.
We are becoming convinced that the Council want to maximise the amount of commercial development on the market side (it is the only commercially viable frontage to the combined site) and rebuild the Vic Baths on the Brook St site as a bland 'McLeisure Centre'. This is why they are dead against refurbishment.
The Council simply say that they are ruling nothing in or out; but if that's the case, why do they refuse to reveal any of the condition surveys done on the building (which was the original reason they wanted to shut the Baths - it was "too decrepit") and why did they fix the Brief so as to invite schemes which would do exactly what we fear?
VICTORIA LEISURE CENTRE WORKING GROUP
24 June 2008
Three members of the Save Victoria Baths campaign have been put forward to join the newly formed Victoria Leisure Centre Working Group, and to work closely alongside Nottingham City Council and representatives of other local groups to develop plans for the new leisure centre.
The Working Group has drawn up a brief which was used to commission a London based architectural practise, Levitate to put forward a feasibility study which will recommend 3 options to the Council. Levitate, in partnership with TANC have recently held their first public consultation event in order to gain an insight into what is wanted by the community.
Chair - Ken Williams, councillor Dales ward
Nottingham City Council representatives:
WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE?
31 March 2008
The Save Victoria Baths campaign was launched on Friday 8 February 2008, following Nottingham City Council's announcement of their proposal to close the much-loved, 150 year old city centre leisure facility. On Tuesday 19 February the Council's Executive Board voted for the closure of the Leisure Centre in principle. Following this vote, they allowed for a month long period of consultation with local residents and Leisure Centre users before making their final decision. During this period they received an overwhelming response in opposition to their proposal including over 1300 emails, letters and feedback forms, a petition hand-signed by nearly 4000 and an online petition signed by 1432.
Then on Tuesday 18 March 2008 Nottingham City Council’s Executive Board met again to make their final decision on the future of Victoria Leisure Centre. This meeting saw two major successes for the campaign to Save Victoria Baths: first and foremost, they announced that the Leisure Centre would not close at Easter as was originally proposed. The Council then granted a further nine months (until the end of the year) for proposals to be drawn up for new leisure facilities. In addition, Nottingham City Council pledged to invest £7 million in these new facilities for the east of the city.
Nottingham City Council's statement 18 March 2008 >
Nottingham City Council press release about the closure 8 February 2008 >
Nottingham City Council Q & A about the closure 8 February 2008 >