HAPPY BATHDAY - MOSELEY ROAD 99 NOT OUT

30-10-2006

One of Birmingham's best loved swimming pools at Moseley Road in Balsall Heath is celebrating it's 99th birthday today - and a local councillor who helped save it is determined it will still be here next century.

Moseley Liberal Democrat Martin Mullaney was one of a group of local residents determined that this historic building shouldn't fall into disuse when - only a couple of years ago - it's future looked bleak.

In October 2004, the pool was closed for emergency repairs and there were well-founded fears that it might never re-open, as the previous Labour administration had neglected it and allowed it to become rundown.

When the Tories and LibDems took control of the city, though, Mullaney and another Lib Dem councillor John Hemming (now an MP) ensured the concordat between the parties guaranteed a long term future for the pool.

“That's how important it is to us” said Mullaney, who now has the job of helping to source funding for a repair job. It won't come cheap, though. Moseley Road is one of only seven swimming pools in the country to have a Grade II* listing - and only three of those are still in operation. Bringing it back to it's original Edwardian splendour is likely to cost well in excess of the £10 million regularly quoted by the local press.

Onecouncil mole told The Stirrer that a full refurb would cost in the region of £17 million - that would allow both pools to brought into use,as well as providingnew changing rooms and a proper structural upgrade.

A repair job involving justthe roofand the rebuilding of the unsafe balcony around the main poolwould cost something like £1 million, but would be a short-term measure.

As it is, the smaller less ornate second pool is currently open once moreto the public and Mullaney wants the main splashing arena to be brought back into action as soon as possible.

“My aim is to have both pools up and running” he said, “but there is also the option of having just the main pool working, and the second pool replaced by some kind of meeting place for the local community. Either way, I'm determined that it will still be here for another 99 years.”

The Stirrer has also discovered that there are plans afoot for a Friends of Moseley Road baths, an idea inspired by a recommendation in “Played in Birmingham” the recent book by Steve Beauchampé and Simon Inglis which highlighted this magnificent structure - as truly iconic in its way as the Selfridges building.