Bulletin - sent out on 14th April 2004
NEXT MEETING THURSDAY APRIL 15TH	The next meeting of the Haggerston Pool Campaign is Thursday 15th April at 5:30/6 pm at the doctors surgery (Queensbridge Practice) at 24 Holly St, E8. Everyone welcome.
HAGGERSTON POOL CENTENARY	Haggerston Pool was opened on June 25th 1904, and we are planning a centenary birthday party. Anyone who would like to help, with a history project or with the party, please get in touch (or come along to the meeting above).
NEW SECONDARY SCHOOL AT LABURNUM	The plans for city financiers UBS to open a city academy on the site of Laburnum primary school continue. The intention is publicly announced, UBS have appointed project managers 3E's Enterprises (a not for profit education company who grew out of a Birmingham City Technology College) and architects Building Design Partnership who designed the "children's tower" Hampden Gurney School in Edgware Road http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/features/2388911.stm. UBS will invest £2 million and the national Department for Education & Skills up to £25 million. The feasibility stage of the whole project (possibly including Haggerston Pool - see below) will continue until at least this summer. After this either UBS or the education authority can withdraw, otherwise the funding agreement will be signed. The intention is for the school to open in September 2006 as a mixed secondary school specialising in Maths and Music, taking in 900 11-16 year olds and 250 in the sixth form. As a city academy the new school will be publicly funded but independent of Hackney's Learning Trust (ex-education department). UBS will be involved in setting the ethos of the school and probably in its governing body.
HAGGERSTON POOL PART OF NEW SCHOOL?	Whether Haggerston Pool will be part of the school development is less clear. The initial viability study suggested a swimming pool, sports hall and other facilities for the use of the school and the community. Whether this is achievable will depend on the terms of listing of the baths, building and other timetables and what budget can be secured in terms of both capital and revenue.
GLA FREE CHILDRENS SWIMMING FOR EASTER	The GLA (Greater London Authority) sponsored Free Children's Swimming is taking place in 5 London Boroughs over the Easter holidays(3rd - 18th April). Participating pools are : Britannia Leisure Centre (leisure pool), Hyde Road, Hoxton Kings Hall, Lower Clapton Road, Hackney York Hall Baths, Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green Cathall Leisure Centre, Cathall Road, Leytonstone Leyton Leisure Lagoon, High Road, Leyton Atherton Leisure Centre, Romford Road, Stratford Balaam Leisure Centre, Balaam Street, Plaistow, Newham Leisure Centre, Prince Regent Lane, Plaistow East Ham Leisure Centre, Barking Road, East Ham St George's Pool, The Highway, Shadwell Tiller Leisure Centre, Tiller Road, Isle of Dogs Larkswood Leisure Centre, Larkswood Leisure Park, Chingford Waltham Forest Pool and Track, Chingford Road, Walthamstow Arches Leisure Centre, Trafalgar Road, Greenwich Eltham Pools, Eltham Hill, Eltham Thamesmere Leisure Centre, Thamemsere Drive, Thamesmead Waterfront Leisure Centre, High Street, Woolwich Kings Hall and Britannia have been inundated with children and their parents. Queuing times have been up to an hour at busy times. Staff say quietest times are earlier in the morning on weekdays. The numbers of children shows there is the need and the demand for more swimming pools in Hackney, particularly if swimming is affordable. The free swimming is being funded by the GLA, the Department of Health, The Department of Education and Skills and the London 2012 Olympic bid. The GLA are monitoring the success of the 2 weeks of free swimming. If it is successful the free swimming for children will be extended to all public pools in London during the school summer holidays.
CHILDRENS SWIMMING CLUB	Hackney's children's swimming club - which was at Haggerston until it closed, and then at Clissold until it closed - has now found pool time in Islington at Higbury Grove School and Iron Monger Row Baths. Session times and other information on http://www.clissoldswimmingclub.org.uk or from the club coach Greg McNeill on 07789 005 652
LABURNUM PILOT - CALL FOR HELP WITH MAGAZINE	Any one who live or visits Laburnum Street (the small street in Haggerston between Haggerston Pool and the canal) is invited to take part in the production of the new Laburnum Pilot Magazine. Artists Amy Plant and Ella Gibbs are working from the Drawing Room gallery in Laburnum St to produce a new magazine entirely made up of drawings. They would like anyone, of any age, with a connection with the area to contribute drawings "from scribbles to cartoons, made from pencils to pixels". Materials will be provided at the gallery. Amy and Ella say "We want this to be a magazine full of character and variety, reflecting a whole range of elements and interests in the neighbourhood". The magazine will be launched on June 26th at the celebrations for the centenary of Haggerston Pool. If you are interested in contributing drawings, joining the editing and production team - or in taking the free classes in drawing and magazine production which will take place during May at the gallery please contact Amy Plant: 07791 246022 or Ella Gibbs: 07947 367463 or email: laburnum_pilot@hotmail.com
LABURNUM BOAT CLUB	There are also daily sessions at Laburnum Boat club for children during the Easter holidays - both canoeing and narrow boat trips. More information from www.laburnum.org or 020 7729 2915.
CLISSOLD LEISURE CENTRE - CLOSED 18 MONTHS	No news about the re-opening of Clissold Leisure Centre. It is now agreed that the centre cost £31 million to build - instead of the initial plan of £7.5 million, that it was closed for health and safety reasons due to water getting into the electrical systems and that the defects are so serious that it is unlikely to re-open for at least 18 months. Mayor Jules Pipe says that "...Hackney has two broad types of complaint about the Clissold Leisure Centre project. The first is that the centre was completed late and cost too much. The second is that there are defects in the Centre. The first complaint is being addressed by the current legal action in the High Court.........The defendants in this action are Hodder Associates, the architects, and Davis Langton and Everest, the cost consultants. The second is not yet the subject of legal action, but Hackney has now commissioned investigations from relevant professional experts". He also says any trial is unlikely to take place before 2005. You can read this whole article at www.hackney.gov.uk/clissold which also lists 39 faults with the building. The mayor has also said that the repairs to the building can be taken from Council funds and are not dependent on getting money back through the courts. More information about the whole situation from the Clissold User Groups website www.clissoldleisure.com
LONDON FIELDS LIDO	The London Fields Lido Group report that they have just come to the end of an 8 month struggle to try to convince Hackney Council to allow the redevelopment of the London Fields Lido. They say "we required permission and a lease before the end of March to obtain funding from Sport England before their cut off date. This process has run out and we can do nothing further until the council has been through uet another expensive internal review and re-appraisal of strategic plans for future parks development. This is the fourth strategy for parks and open spaces in 10 years". The Plans for the lido, put together by the Environment Trust and Market Sports (who ran the temporary pools in Spitalfields) give a rebuilding proposal for the 50m pool with gym (costing £2.1million) along with detailed management plans. The lido group say "we are delighted that they are able to build and operate at no capital or revenue cost to Hackney Council" The plans for London Fields Lido can be seen at http://londonpoolscampaign.ground-level.org/pools/londonfieldslido . The campaign to demonstrate the need for more pools in the area (see free children's swimming above) continues - more information from the chair, Mike Martin or contact the Environment Trust 7264 4660.
POPLAR BATHS - TO BE SAVED BY 15 STORIES OF FLATS?	Poplar Baths in East India Dock Road, were closed by Tower Hamlets Council in the 1980's and leant by the Council to the Docklands Development Corporation for the training of builders to work on the Canary Wharf Development. Local people remember there being an agreement announced at the time that the building company would renovate the swimming pool when the training was complete. However this did not happen, and the baths are now not just derelict, but the 2 pools are full of concrete and there are mini buildings inside built by the trainees. Tower Hamlets Council told pool campaigners at a recent meeting that they could not find the agreement. They were however committed to getting the pool back, and it would be in some way a renovation as the pool hall is listed. The Council believe they have enough public pools (3 currently and a new one being built at Mile End) - so Poplar Baths will be paid for through a housing development on top of, and beside, the pool building - probably 15 stories of flats. Tower Hamlets Council's planning brief on the Poplar Baths website http://www.poplarbaths.com/baths16c.htm and pictures of the current state of the baths http://londonpoolscampaign.ground-level.org/pools/poplar
LONDON POOLS CAMPAIGN	London Pools Campaign has secured corporate sponsorship for the next year. The aims of the organisation are to stop pool closures and to see the setting up of a London Pools Trust associated with the GLA to take on London's pools as local authorities are struggling to manage pools across the capital. There are now 16 pool campaigns around London involved with the London Pools Campaign. An exhibition of closed and threatened pools is being planned for the summer to tour the various pool sites. More information on http://londonpoolscampaign.ground-level.org