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WILL CAMBERWELL SWAP SWIMMING GOGGLES FOR BALLET SHOES?

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16 September 2008

By David Yuill
dyuill@southwarknews.org 

OVER A HUNDRED concerned local residents and users packed into St Giles' Parish hall to hear three VERY different proposals for the future of Camberwell Baths - including one without a drop of water.

Executive member for culture, leisure and sport Lewis Robinson outlined from the outset on Monday night that having stood still on the project for over ten years: "for the council to stand still is no longer an option."

The most dramatic and eye-opening submission was the emotive appeal from the English National Ballet (ENB) to make the listed Victorian building their first permanent home. The ENB proposal - that would see the much-used, much-loved swimming pool boarded over and replaced with dance studio's - followed two more conventional proposals to refurbish the baths keeping the pool; including a bid from current occupiers Fusion (pictuure top left).

Fusion have employed the same architects that managed the over-haul of Brockwell Lido in a design that would see 64 flats erected on land that would have to be sold-off to developers to maintain the renovation costs.

Ash Sakula architects submitted a less dramatic plan (pictured top right) that would see less substantial developments carried out as they try to squeeze a number of family homes and town-houses in to the nooks and crannies surrounding the site, whilst maintaining as much of the existing features as possible. Their ideas include the provision of three large community spaces including the pool area and two adjoining outdoor courtyards and an insistence to make the building as transparent as possible.

ENB Managing director Craig Hassall insisted that everybody must be aware that sacrifices would have to be made to enable the building to be maintained - and their sacrifice would be the swimmers. He told the crowded meeting: "We will be replacing the swimmers with dancers - unfortunately that is our sacrifice. While the other two proposals you have heard will be sacrificing space and community amenities, we will be boarding over the pools to create dance studios.

"If you don't want us, that's fair enough we will find somewhere else. But we would very much love to make Camberwell our home."

The left-field proposal for the prestigious company to relocate from their rented home in Kensington was met by surprising warmth from the meeting. But the overwhelming insistence on the community requirement to keep a pool - which is currently used by at least 20 local schools as well as a host of community groups - was deafening.

A question was asked whether any agreement could be met between the ENB and Southwark Council for a swimming pool to be maintained in conjunction with the ballet company either on the site or relocated elsewhere, to which former Councillor Jonathon Hunt piped: "Stick a pool in the Town Hall that you are selling!"

An independent report as well as a council report will be carried out before Cllr Robinson makes his recommendation to the executive on October 20.

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