Saved
Glenogle Baths

deputation

 

Text of the deputation to the City of Edinburgh Council given on Thursday 23rd August 2007 by Linda Wilson of the Save Glenogle Baths campaign. See the photos!

 

"Lord Provost, Members of the Council, Ladies & Gentlemen,

As you know in recent years the Council has had a commitment to upgrade the City’s Victorian public baths. Indeed the Council is to be commended for its successful programme of refurbishing 4 of the 5 Victorian public swimming pools across the city. However since the work on Warrender Baths was completed in 2006, Glenogle the last pool, has fallen into a funding limbo and I am here today to ask you to fulfil that commitment and allocate funds for a full restoration and refurbishment of Glenogle.

I will start out by giving you a brief background to the current situation and the response we’ve had  from the local community. I then want to tell you why we think Glenogle should be refurbished. And lastly I want to make some comments on the report you will be considering later this morning.

 

Background
The Save Glenogle Baths Campaign started in February this year when it emerged that because of a shortfall in funding, the budget originally allocated for the refurbishment had been diverted into other projects. Not only was the long postponed refurbishment not going to go ahead but the Council had been approached by a number of potential property developers. Concerned about the possible consequences of this, a number of regular users and supporters of the facilities at Glenogle gathered to create a group whose initial campaign aimed to make everyone aware of this potential threat to Glenogle.

The response from the public has been overwhelming. To say the community were angry is to put it mildly and we’ve been encouraged by the extent of local feelings against any redevelopment proposals. In fact, we have received nothing but support from the local community, 8,500 of whom have signed our petition.

We have also received strong support from local residents’ associations and community councils as well as the Cockburn Association and the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland. All these groups have agreed with us that the best long term future for Glenogle Baths is restoration and refurbishment.

Since the local elections, we are also encouraged and grateful for the support shown by the new Council in reviewing the position of Glenogle Baths. You unanimously supported Councillor Hinds’ motion to put talks with developers on hold and look again at refurbishment and many of you have signed our petition.

 

Why save Glenogle?
While the threat of development has now faded, the building is still in need of significant capital investment to upgrade the physical condition of the building and create disabled access. Why should the Council make this investment?

Firstly Glenogle is a valuable facility for the community.

• It is used every day by people of all ages from pensioners to babies.
• Local schools use the pool for swimming lessons and galas.
• Edinburgh Leisure also runs swimming lessons and swimming clubs run training sessions there.
• As well as local residents there are many from the wider community who work in the area and use the facilities in their lunch breaks and after work.

Glenogle needs to be refurbished so it can continue to serve the needs of the community.

Secondly, Glenogle is an important building historically. It is a category B-listed building. It illustrates the achievements and ambitions of the city of Edinburgh at the turn of the century in architectural and social terms. Generations of Stockbridge residents learnt to swim there and there are still some who can recall going to Glenogle for a hot bath. With refurbishment Glenogle can continue to play a significant role in the heritage and identity of Stockbridge for generations to come.

 

Comments on report
We are aware that you are shortly to consider a report on the refurbishment of Glenogle Baths. We would like, if we may, to make 3 observations on that report:

First, we appreciate the pressures on the Council’s funding regimes and the need to prioritise projects. The report says that funds are unlikely to be available for Glenogle for the next 3 years. Meantime the baths will require ongoing maintenance.

We would ask that you are clear in your commitment to maintaining the baths and keeping them open whilst funding for refurbishment is worked up.

Second, we note reference is made in the report to funding in the context of the Council’s Capital Investment Programme. The report says that the programme for 2010/11 will be considered later this year.

We would ask that you give a clear commitment now to ensure Glenogle Baths are re-instated into that programme.

Third, we note that the report refers to the intention to seek funding from external partners. As the only one of the city’s Victorian Baths not to have been refurbished Glenogle offers the city and the people of Edinburgh an unique opportunity to not only refurbish Glenogle but to make this a conservation project restoring Glenogle to its original Victorian splendour. If packaged as a conservation project in this way, funding could be attracted from heritage bodies such as Historic Scotland and Heritage Lottery Fund.

We would ask that you give a commitment to investigate all possible options for securing the best future for Glenogle.

In conclusion, we have been assured by your officers that they will be involving us in their future planning for Glenogle. We welcome that and we also look forward to working with our local councillors and Community Councils.

The message from the community is loud and clear. ‘Please refurbish Glenogle’ so we can all continue to enjoy this magnificent facility. We hope we can count on your continued support.

 

Thank you for hearing this deputation. I would now like to present Councillor Dawe with the petition of 8,500 signatures."

 

 

 

 

Save Glenogle Baths Campaign - last updated 4 August 2010