Ironmonger Row Baths, home to one of London's original Turkish baths, will get a multi-million pound refit if plans are approved by Islington Council next week (21 May 2009).
The council and EC1 New Deal for Communities are set to invest £16million to restore the baths which were first opened to the public in 1931. Built as a public wash house, Ironmonger Row Baths is now a Grade II Listed Building retaining many of its original features. The impressive hall housing the pool has a huge vaulted ceiling and original wooden viewing gallery. The old fashioned Turkish Baths with their mahogany and marble are now almost unique in central London.
After over seventy years of use the popular pool is now due for a refurb. At the Executive meeting on 21st May councillors will be asked to give the green light to the project. The council will commit funding of over £12million, while the EC1 NDC board have approved a £3.7million investment.
Howard Barnes, Islington Council’s service director for culture, said: “Ironmonger Row Baths is a wonderful building but, because of its age, it is costly to maintain and many of its facilities are old and in need of repair. We are determined to keep this well-loved building in public use and, if councillors approve the plans, we will press ahead with a grand scheme to refurbish Ironmonger Row Baths in time for the 2012 Olympics.”
Local resident and EC1 New Deal for Communities board member David Hyams said: “By investing in the Ironmonger Row Baths we are investing in the health and physical welfare of our community. Ironmonger Row Baths is the only public leisure facility in the south of Islington. It’s critical that everyone living in EC1 has somewhere that’s easy to get to for keeping fit and healthy.”
Executive councillors will also be deciding whether to delay the council's plans to rebuild the Sobell and Finsbury leisure centres due to the ongoing global economic crisis. But councillors are expected to approve a £1.7million shot in the arm to keep the Sobell and its ice rink operational until the financial markets improve, when the original rebuild plans can be put into action.
The council agreed last year to demolish Finsbury Leisure Centre, in the south of the borough, and the Sobell Leisure Centre, in the north, and replace them with buildings fit for the 21st century.
Howard Barnes said: “We have a legal duty to spend taxpayers’ money wisely and, like scores of other local authorities across the country, we’re affected by the credit crunch so this just isn’t the right time to go ahead with such a massive scheme. It’s important we get this right.
“We still intend to redevelop both Finsbury and the Sobell, and we won’t be sitting on our hands in the meantime. We will continue to monitor the markets to see when the best time is to start the Finsbury and Sobell parts of this overall project. In the short-term, we’ve set money aside to keep the leisure centres going, and there’s much work to be done behind the scenes to ensure the people of Islington get the top-quality leisure facilities they deserve.”
Plans for the refurbishment and reprovision of Islington’s leisure centres follow wide-ranging public consultation.
ENDS.
Page Last Updated: 12 June 2009