Fight to defend Levenshulme Baths gathers momentum
Article published: Tuesday, February 22nd 2011
The fight to defend Levenshulme’s public baths took a step forward at the weekend with the creation of the ‘Save Our Baths’ campaign at an open public meeting.
Save Our Baths is presenting itself as a non party-political campaign seeking to prevent the closure of Levenshulme Swimming Pools in July, which is planned in Manchester City Council’s budget. The budget will be finalised at a full council meeting on March 9.
The meeting, of around 20 people, began work on petitions, lobbying councillors, and research, with a view to changing the minds of council members who will be at the decisive vote. This follows similar moves initiated by the group Love Levenshulme Hate Cuts soon after the proposal was made on 8 February. Over 500 people attended the last demonstration on 14 February, and future protests are also planned at the Town Hall, including on March 5.
The closure of the pool is part of the council’s proposed budget following the 21 per cent cut to its funding from central government. The council claims it will bring a saving of £294,000, and that the building already has dwindling use and requires £300,000 capital investment.
Angelique Bueller, the convenor of the meeting and chair of the new group, said: “It would leave Levenshulme absolutely gutted without it.
“Not just the immediate community but all the other service users who come from Longsight or Gorton because there simply are not enough facilities.”
The council have suggested that Levenshulme’s swimmers re-locate to the Aquatic Centre on Oxford Road or Wright Robinson leisure centre, but local resident Shaun Piatt, who works at Levenshulme Inspire and describes the plan as “economic vandalism” says this isn’t a practical replacement:
Campaign poster for Love Levenshulme Hate Cuts
“Most people don’t want to travel to the Aquatics Centre or to Stockport because it’s money, time, and adds and extra hour, two hours, to an hour’s swim.
“It means driving, and then it’s two, three quid to park. Then it’s four, five quid for the lessons. It’s not affordable.”
A separate event, the ‘swim-in’ was also arranged today at the baths by Love Levenshulme, Hate Cuts, with residents encouraged to turn out for a swim in fancy dress. A representative of the group, Sue McPherson, thinks that the classes on offer at the baths can’t be replicated elsewhere:
“There’s a women only swimming group which the Asian women come to on a Thursday and there are other special user groups as well. The over-50s meet three times a week, lots of them are disabled, they can’t get anywhere else.
“We’ve got people coming to us saying that their life depends on being able to get there. Their health, whether it’s physical or mental problems – this is it for them. And they’re very worried that if this goes, they will be stuck in the house completely isolated.
“That will cost more in terms of the NHS, it will mean that social cohesion will start to fall apart, and it’ll be like the Wild West in Levenshulme, it really will.”
Campaigners from Love Levenshulme Hate Cuts are now questioning the legality of the plans, after it emerged that the council did not carry out an equality impact assessment for the closure.
Another demonstration, ‘The Beacon of Light’ is arranged for next Saturday from 5.30pm, with churches, mosques, individuals and streets invited to a candle-lit vigil outside the baths.
James Legge
You can join the Save Our Baths Facebook group here, and the Save Levenshulme Swimming Baths group here.
More: Manchester, News
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