Doncaster Turkish baths to be sold as council lacks “wherewithal” to run it
The historic Turkish baths on Waterdale in Doncaster city centre was set to be sold to a developer, but the deal fell apart
The grade-II listed St James Baths need to be sold because the City of Doncaster Council doesn’t have the “wherewithal” to run the facility, senior officers have said.
The historic Turkish baths on Waterdale in Doncaster city centre was set to be sold to a developer, but the deal fell apart due to issues with “viability”, executive director for corporate resources Debbie Hogg told the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee (OSMC).
Councillor Frank Jackson, who represents Norton & Askern ward for Reform UK, asked officers for an update on the scheme to “preserve the heritage” of the building, adding he hoped it would not be sold to the private sector.
Ms Hogg told the committee a new roof had been installed on the building, amongst other upgrades, to make it “wind-and-watertight”, but that the council did not have the means to take it further.
She said: “The proposition was largely about the independent sector having responsibility for it because we’ve not the wherewithal to actually maintain it going forward.
“The next stage, now that it is wind-and-watertight, is to go back out to the market and see what interest there is.”
It was previously expected that the developer who was engaged with the council over the baths would turn them into flats.
Cllr Jackson said to the committee: “I used to teach swimming there and did a lot of swimming for me. I cannot believe that we will lose that. We are desperate for that type of facility.
“We have lost so much in the past heritage-wise and it’s a crime, it really is, so to me we should really be looking at providing this as a main attraction for Doncaster. Same as the airport.”
Ms Hogg responded: “It all comes down to resources and priorities. The estimate for the building is about £9million and we don’t have £9million, that’s why we went out to the independent sector.
“As much as we’d love it, we just haven’t got the resources in order to do that.”
Agreeing with Ms Hogg, Dan Swaine, executive director for place at the council, said the council wants “trust and confidence” in the person who takes over St James’ Baths.
He added that the regeneration of Waterdale shopping centre could bring more interest in the historic baths.
Doncaster Council is set to unlock an option to purchase the freehold for a significant portion of the Waterdale site, once a lease with the landowners is signed for the vacant ‘The Village’ unit on Waterdale Kingsgate.
The council will then sub-lease the building to the Rotherham, Doncaster and South Humber (RDaSH) NHS Foundation Trust to provide health services in the city centre.
If the purchase of the land is completed, the council hopes to undertake a significant scheme of regeneration.