WOOLSTON BATHS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30553, 23 September 1964, Page 18

WOOLSTON BATHS

Residents’ Efforts

Far from being disheartened by the City Council discussion on the future of the Woolston baths, the Woolston Baths Restoration Committee was confident that it would receive support from the district, said the chairman (Mr A. H. McHugh) and the secretary (Mr J. B. Anderson) yesterday.

There were 66 collectors going round the district on Saturday to collect envelopes which had been sent to 4000 Woolston householders, they said. Already more than £2OO was in hand, and the committee was working hard to ensure that a substantial amount was raised locally. With that support, they looked forward to assistance by way of loan from the City Council’s sports fund pool, as had been promised a year ago.

Mr McHugh and Mr Anderson recalled a letter from the City Council in September of last year reaffirming that the council would not spend money on the baths other than that for routine maintenance, but would consider making a loan from the pool if a substantial sum was raised locally.

“We’ve undertaken to do that,” said Mr McHugh. “We are also seeking assistance from the Internal Affairs Department, and have all along looked forward to assistance from the sports fund pool. “We were puzzled, therefore, by the council discussion, which could have created an impression that no assistance would be given by the council and it was heartening to hear the chairman of the baths committee (Cr H. G. Hay) say that negotiations were still possible. “While we. appreciate what the council is doing in providing a lido pool in Waltham park, Woolston is now awake to the need for a swimming pool of its own. No matter what happened years ago, there is now a live committee working on the project.”