Dulwich Baths - refurbishment timetable

[EDmummy]

Does anyone know when the swimming pool at Dulwich Leisure Centre is due to open again? Any insider knowledge on whether it is running to timescale?

[candj]

It is supposed to be finished by next summer 2010, from what I understand. Whether it's on schedule, I cannot answer! I believe that members can use the pool at Peckham Pulse (or even Beckenham).

[SteveT]

Timescale would be 6 months maximum from start to finish if the builders were supplied the money.

[victor]

On the original bosrds it stated that the pool should be reopened May 2010. They have demolished buildings at the back, but whether it will be done by next May is another matter!

[iaineasy]

Thats a shame as my missus (mum to be) was looking for somewhere to go swimming, is there anywhere that has specific mum to be swim sessions locally? Do they even exist as i am sure she would like to meet up with some other girls in the same boat and get some time with a weightless bump.

[joom]

I seem to remember peckham pool taking about two years...

[SteveT]

Peckham was a complete new build, this one is getting a disabled entrance but the pool is the same pokey little pool with a lick of paint.

Waste of money and a lost opportunity in my opinion.

[James Barber]

Hi EDmummy,

The Dulwich Pool on East Dulwich Road is a ?6.5M rebuil/renovation project.

The new entrance on Crystal Palace Road and complete rebuilt pool and new studios should be opening late winter/early spring 2010. The pool will be slightly shortened from 27m to 25m so it can hold school swimming events. This will also result in being able to walk around all sides of the pool. The pool roof will also be insulated along with all the other roof spaces, windows etc. So considerable more energy efficient.

The gym will then be moved to the new dance studios so the gym hall and building facing East dulwich Road can then be renovated. This will take until January 2011.

Hi SteveT,

As the main building is listed it can't be demolished and started afresh. Equally, as the Peckham Pool leaked like a sieve and costs ?2M and 2 years to fix it isn't a set of events I'd wish to repeat.

The project has been complicated by finding some asbestos buried away in the building which obviously has to removed in a completely safe way. Which it has. It also means the work has to be done very carefully in case further is found. Not something to be rushed.

[Nero]

'Considerably more effcient' you say. Please don't let the new lagging mean that the temperature will be even more stifling. The pool doesn't need to be so warm, and neither does the ambient temperature. Could you find out whether there is a legal minimum, and if so, make sure they keep it to that temp, or if not, persuade them to keep it a degree on the cooler side. Sweating while in water is interesting, but ultimately uncomfortable!

[James Barber]

What I was hoping to convey was it will take significantly less energy to maintain after the renovation and the air circulation will meet modern standards. So it should'nt feel as stuffy.

[SteveT]

That is even worse than I thought, now reduced to 25metres, is it going to be any wider to increase the number of lanes

and capacity Mr Barber?

Will it have a new filtration system installed, so that it no longer resembles swimming in the dregs of a washing machine?

Mr Barber.

[KidKruger]

God heavens how much money was spent to reduce the pool size by 2 meters !?

[Jamma]

Why all the moaning? The old pool was undoubtedly skanky. But from what the councillor says the new one will be nearer the mark. Reducing the length seems perfectly reasonable, especially as it will allow walking right round which seems pretty basic.

[Ted Max]

25m is the standard size for a short course pool, meaning you can hold comps and galas there with comparable timing.

It's a bit like complaining because a skanky old athletics track is being reduced from 102m to 100m.

[SteveT]

I thought it was 50m for an olympic size pool Ted Max, and you can only use the 25 for school events. It would not be comparable because of the extra turn distorting the finishing times.

My complaint was Ted that spending all that money and it did not increase the length and capacity of the pool, which judging by the amount of use it gets would have been an obvious way to go.

I do not see what an athletics track skanky or otherwise has to do with it, but I guess you know best.

[James Barber]

Hi SteveT,

Paris has more 50m pools than the UK.

UK local government doesn't have the money to build or run 50m Olympic sized pools and really not sure we want the new best practice ones where they are minimum of 3m for the entire length. Even to keep the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre the London Developement Agency had to step in to save it.

The new East Dulwich pool will have all new filtration, heating, air circulation, changing rooms, dance studios, cafe, gym, etc. Total cost ?6.5M. This is not small beer or half measures. It is a huge investment in a local East Dulwich facility.

[SteveT]

Councillor Barber wrote:-

The new East Dulwich pool will have all new filtration, heating, air circulation, changing rooms, dance studios, cafe, gym, etc. Total cost ?6.5M. This is not small beer or half measures. It is a huge investment in a local East Dulwich facility.

It sounds wonderful, pity about the pool being smaller, but good to hear that the new smaller pool will have decent filtration.

I quite agree it is not small beer or half measures, it is a very expensive smaller pool.

Why they are changing the present gym, which in my opinion is the best around, as it has high ceilings and is never stuffy, I cannot understand.

[Ted Max]

I thought it was 50m for an olympic size pool Ted Max, and you can only use the 25 for school events. It would not be comparable because of the extra turn distorting the finishing times.

My complaint was Ted that spending all that money and it did not increase the length and capacity of the pool, which judging by the amount of use it gets would have been an obvious way to go.

I do not see what an athletics track skanky or otherwise has to do with it, but I guess you know best.

SteveT - Slightly snippy at the end there? Not sure why.

You are right that 50m is what they swim in the Olympics. What I wrote is that 25m is normal for short course championships. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FINA_World_Swimming_Championships_(25_m)

Therefore they are regulating the pool to a standard length - hence the analogy to the athletics track.

[SteveT]

Thanks for that Ted. Sorry about the snippy.:-$

[Ted Max]

No worries, Steve.

[James Barber]

Hi SteveT,

?6.5M is building lots of new space, renovating everything else. That's a lot of renovated space and the pool is a small eliminate of the space involved. Slightly complicated sorting out the listed parts such as the bath rooms.

The gym will be temporily moved but the current gym space - the old first class 33m pool hall - will be returned to gym use once it has been fully renovated and new changing rooms installed.

We're also finalising the Camberwell centre renovations. They should start once Dulwich centre completed. The remaining Southwark Council leisure/sports centres have plans around modernisation. The majority will be completed by the London Olympics.

[SteveT]

Thank you for your time and trouble Mr Barber.

[Cassius]

Someone told me that when there were two pools one was for the nobs and the other was for the workers!! Can anyone confirm?

[Only me!]

Certainly was/are two pools.

Front pool was much grander. Larger pool with viewing balcony, diving boards & much larger changing lockers.

Pool is probably still there under the gym. Balcony still in situ.

Rear pool was much smaller, but was modernised whilst front pool wasn't.

Could well be that rear pool was for the "workers" certainly as you walked down the long corridor to the rear pool, there were side rooms containing actual Baths, which I'm sure was aimed at the poorer local residents. Think I've even seen a price list somewhere:

Bath & soap xd

Bath, soap & 2 towels xxd

That sort of thing....

Larger front pool, was used less than the rear pool in later years, as during the winter it was boarded over & used for dances, boxing & bowls & now as a gym of course.

[Cassius]

Thanks Only Me!