Why does anything need to be done?
The pools are a Victorian building built to Victorian standards. The poolside does not meet modern hygiene standards. The changing facilities are far from modern. Disabled access is poor.
How does this fit into the wider pattern of swimming provision?
Our pools strategy envisages five pools across the borough together meeting a mix of leisure, teaching and club swimming needs. Whichever option is adopted, Forest Hill will be an important part of our five centre plan.
Isn't Forest Hill pools a listed building?
No. However, it is close to the listed library and to two conservation areas in this part of Forest Hill. Any replacement building would need to be of a high design quality in order to ensure that it is appropriate in this setting.
Why are there only two options?
The two options being presented are those which are realistically deliverable on the site, within planning constraints and at an affordable cost.
Why isn’t the Council fully restoring the pools to their pristine Victorian origins?
A restoration of the Victorian building as it was built would not meet the leisure needs of the 21st century. Having a usable pool is a key part of our wider swimming provision strategy
Why can’t you create a new side entrance to the pool to avoid the cross contamination?
We did investigate whether this could be incorporated with a refurbishment option to look but the cost would have been prohibitive at around £6.25m.
Why wasn't a learner pool considered as part of the second option?
A learner pool was considered but we are not able to include a learner pool within the available budget.
Regarding the 2nd option why can’t the grassed area be used for a second pool?
The grassed area is public open space and not part of the consultation.
Why would option 1 only last 10 years?
The work guarantees a 10-year life it could last longer but cracks in the pool, pipe work buried in the ground could bring additional costs or closure. There is much more uncertainty with an old building.
Will it last 60+ years or up to 60 years?
60-year life is a normal quote for a building with plant replacement every 15 years.
Is it true that English Heritage money had been explored regarding doing up old sites?
It was not seen as a high priority for them. There was a small heritage programme but the application was not successful.
The proposed modern pool would be 25m and so considerably shorter than the present 30m?
The pool would be a modern pool built to current standard dimensions within Sport England’s guidelines.
Would there be a glass roof in the new building?
High levels of glazing allow light to pour into the building. The roof would be triple safety and of glazed glass with a high level of vertical glazing.
What weight will people’s opinion have on the final decision? What percentage of option 1 or option 2 will guide the decision?
If the process for decision is very close, then the weight of other aspects will come into play. Two other points taken into account would be:
- value for money
- degree of risk.
Why has the Council not looked at the pipework?
Parts of the pipes carrying water to and from the pools are within the structure of the promenades at each end of the pools. The condition of the pipes is unknown. Some may be heavily scaled and some may be leaking.
The Council also investigated a CCTV survey with a reputable company within the field. Given that the pipes contain quite acute bends they felt it unlikely that they would be able to gain any meaningful appraisal of the pipework for more than a few feet from the point of entry. They were also concerned at the possibility of dislodging scale and blocking the pipes and forcing the closure of the pool.
The council has received a quote to investigate the pipes further through digging down, but there is still a risk that in doing this the structure may be weakened by the investigation
We are continuing to discuss the possibility of investigations with specialist consultants but there is no easy way of doing this.