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The Pool was built in 1850. The main facade has an Egyptian theme. The right hand side of the main building incorporates a Public House owned by Ushers Brewery. The site is 881 square metres and incorporates a 250 square meter open air pool, pool side changing cubicles, and a partly glazed Gallery that has been used as a Gym in the past. The whole site is listed Grade II* and is set in a Conservation Area.
The site is set in a densely populated part of Clifton within walking distance of three Primary and One Secondary School, many offices, the BBC, several Hotels, and many Shops.
The Clifton Victoria Baths Management Company Ltd (The Company) plans to restore and develop the site to become a community facility centred around the Swimming Pool.
It is the Company's aim to make the site a vibrant and attractive facility maximising the huge potential after years of neglect.
To enable this to be an all year round facility and thus make the site self funding we plan install a highly modern roof (subject to planning and listed building consent application) The end wall will be able to open to allow fresh air to enter and preserve the open air feel of the pool.
To Compliment the Pool and ensure commercial survival space will be let to a Gymnasium operator. In addition further space upstairs in the main building will be let to complimentary medicine practitioners.
In both cases a booking/reception service will be provided by the Pool reception staff to enable a higher rent to be charged and a seamless service to be provided to users.
The Company was set up in 1998 after the success of the informal group in getting the building listed. The Company's aim is to gain control of the site and develop it as shown in this document.
The Company is Ltd by guarantee and has articles of association which after a small change would be compatible with Charitable Status.
At present there are four directors who all live locally to the pool and have a wide range of experience including:
The Company has taken its name from the company that ceased trading in 1896 when Bristol City took over the pool.
The pool will be run as a club to allow a more efficient staffing regime than if it was open to the public. However it is the Company's aim to have very reasonable annual membership fees so as not to exclude any one on the grounds of Income. An annual charge of £10 per individual and £20 per family is proposed.
The Pool will then have a differential pricing policy to maximise revenue from lunch-time/early evening office swimmers and to encourage use at less popular times of the day.
The Pool will offer Corporate Membership to Local Hotels and Businesses.
The Pool will also offer its services to schools within walking distance who presently bus their pupils to other pools miles away.
The Pool will run as a swimming Club in the evenings offering classes, senior citizens, women only and other promotions.
It is also hoped to encourage competitive swimmers to use the facilities.
The Company hopes to work with Ushers Brewery to allow the Victoria Pub to be developed to become the on site Cafe/Bar.
The current state of the building reflects years of neglect and poor maintenance. However there are some words of comfort in Clarke Bond's report.
The Pool itself has not suffered structural failure and could therefore provide the basis for a new pool.
The Southleigh boundary wall is clearly in a poor state but has not suffered foundation failure and could be repaired.
The roof of the main pool building requires strengthening but does not need to be replaced. All the timber structures could be repaired although this will inevitably be costly.
The capital required is difficult to estimate but the figures below are approximate costs based on Clarke Bond's report.
The company plans to raise capital from many different sources including: The Sports Council, The Lottery, Bristol City Council, English Heritage, The Merchant Venturers, The Victorian Society and other Grant Making trusts.
Capital needed is approximately as in Table 6.1 below (figures are given in £,000's):
| Building repairs and redecoration | 200 |
| Pool repairs | 200 |
| Installation of gas boilers for pool | 20 |
| Installation of filtration and dosing system | 20 |
| Pool roof | 130 |
| Professional fees | 30 |
| Total | 600 |
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The company proposes to be self financing on the income/expenditure account. Figures for income are given in Table 7.1 below, figures for expenditure are in Table 7.2 (figures are given in £,000's).
| Rent from gym | 10 |
| Rent from complementary medicine | 15 |
| Membership fees | 20 |
| Corporate membership | 10 |
| Pool admission fees | 80 |
| Ushers | 5 |
| Total | 140 |
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| Staff | 80 |
| Energy | 25 |
| Pool Chemicals | 2 |
| Computers | 2 |
| Telephone/post | 1 |
| Maintenance | 25 |
| Insurance | 4 |
| Total | 139 |
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The Company's target is to re-open the pool in July 2000. This is the 150th anniversary of the original opening. The Company is aware that this is a very ambitious target but feels that too many years of inactivity have been allowed to pass.
The Pool is a unique opportunity incorporating many of the themes of the last part of the 20th Century it must not be allowed to go to waste.