| Haggerston Pool |
Haggerston Pool when in use |
Haggerston Pool was closed in February 2000
and the Haggerston Pool Community Trust and Haggerston Pool
Users Group have been looking for solutions for its re-opening
ever since. HCD facilitates and supports the work of these two
groups both in advertising the need for a pool in the area and
in working with potential partners and architects to move towards
a business plan for the site.
Last year
we aised the profile of the pool in a number of significant
events.
 We
took part in London Open House - when 700 people from across
the country visited the pool to admire the architecture.
We
held a candle lit vigil outside the pool - attended by 50 people
- to mark the centenary of the laying of the foundation stone
By
setting up the London Pools Campaign we have brought the attention
of the media and London wide authorities to the state of swimming
pools - often featuring Haggerston - across the city. We recently
visited the GLA select committee looking at what Londoners
can expect back in exchange for paying for the Olympics - and
asked for a legacy fund of £100 million for London's
pools
We
now have an excellent relationship with the Hackney Gazette
who write about the pool regularly - and also featured in an
article in Time Out looking at closed pools in London.
We have also been working with first Shoreditch New Deal, and
now architects - Hawkins\Brown. This has triggered the assembly
of a volunteer team of professionals and community representatives
who will carry out the necessary technical and consultative
work to inform the launch of a strategic business plan for
this site later this year. We have had initial partnership
discussions with many local agencies interested in creating
on this site a multi-purpose centre which will include a pool
for affordable public use. |
| This work will run alongside
and engage with proposals from the Hackney Learning Trust to
incorporate the pool as a part of new City Academy in this area.
If these proposals get the go ahead from central government,
HCD's task will be to ensure that the pool facilities can be
easily accessed by all sections of the local community. |
| The Haggerston Pool project has
its own website. For more information see www.haggerstonpool.com. |
| 2 February 2004 |
