PASSIONATE campaigners and members of the community attended Carlisle’s Civic Centre tonight, lobbying councillors to save their historic Victorian and Turkish Baths.
Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths attended the last meeting of Carlisle City Council before the elections to make an eleventh hour plea for the continuation of facilities on James Street.
Campaigners wore bath robes and shower caps in a mark of dedication to their facility - which their leader Julie Minns says brings a variety of health and wellbeing benefits.
The group has been campaigning for the continuation of Carlisle’s Turkish Health Suite on James Street which is set to close when the adjacent 1970s pool building is demolished and GLL staff are moved to the redeveloped Sands Centre swimming provision.
Campaigners asked that the baths remain open for as long as possible and that they have a future after swimming provision is moved to the Sands Centre.
They have also called for a community asset transfer.
At the meeting, Carlisle City Council’s leadership revealed that a transfer of the baths’ ownership to the community is on the cards.
Councillor Stephen Higgs, Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and Leisure said: “We believe the Turkish Baths has a great future. Though there was never any plans to demolish the building, there will need to be a period of time when the site is closed while the 1970s pool is cleared as part of the railway station development.
“We will work with the Friends of Carlisle Victorian and Turkish Baths to keep this period of closure as minimal as safely possible and work with them on a community asset transfer.”
The council’s leisure operator GLL is already working with the group to complete refurbishment work to the Turkish Baths interior.
Demolition of the 1970s pools will be made necessary by upcoming works on James Street when Carlisle Train Station is redeveloped.
But city leaders have said they will monitor delays in the county council’s Station Gateway project and consider whether the baths can operate in the meantime.
A funding element exists in the Borderlands funded Station Gateway project for new power and a heating plant as well as some refurbishments.
One of the executive’s recommendations reads: “The City Council will work with the Friends to maximise the benefit from this funding for the future operation of the Turkish Baths.”
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