Smethwick pool for sale
Plus: It's a 2.5 year wait for public buses
Dear Patchers — here is your Tuesday briefing.
With recent news on travel infrastructure development delays across the West Midlands, we share the latest on the regional authority's plans to take the buses back into public control. This includes a timeline of expected events with a link to how much this is expected to cost (as well as what privatisation currently costs the region).
Elsewhere, we have notes on a Grade II listed public pool that’s on the market, new developments for University College Birmingham and a free festival in the city centre this weekend.
Take care and stay dry. Dan.
Brum in Brief
🚌Bus franchising timeline: Later this week, West Midland Combined Authority members will meet to discuss franchising the West Midlands buses: a key moment in the journey towards public control of this transport system. Bus franchising was a key pledge by new mayor Richard Parker prior to his election and it was backed by a report which says franchising is the most effective way of delivering buses across the region. In this Friday’s meeting members will have to approve an audit and agree to create a bus reform panel with another 2.5 years before plans will come into effect. Full story and comments from the mayor.
🏗️One building UCB: University College Birmingham (UCB) has received the green light for developing a new 1,200-bedroom building that will consolidate all its student accommodation. The new development will sit on Brindley Drive near the Jewellery Quarter and will have a mix of studios and shared flats. Mark Payne, executive director of finance and corporate services, UCB said: “The proposals for the redevelopment of our existing student accommodation offer will strengthen the University’s ability to offer a world-class, supportive student experience.” Full plans here, as well as links to public consultation.
🏛️Swimming pool for sale: Grade II listed swimming baths, Smethwick Baths, which cost £7,500 a month to protect from vandals, are to be sold by Sandwell Council. The baths, which closed in July 2023, had been touted to be turned into a music and community venue but that had proved too costly. Prior to that, the art deco baths had been open for more than 90 years and used to be a music hall. Fun fact: The Beatles and The Rolling Stones played there. The council said it had more than 130 assets in its property portfolio that were worth around £11m and were surplus to requirements. Full story with picture of the beautiful building.
🕺Jewellery Quarter festival: For those who might’ve spent a bit too much cash at the pubs during the Euros — Kate and Dan are guilty as charged — there’s a free summer festival coming up. From a market in St. Paul’s to catacomb tours in the cemetery, with free workshops across the weekend. Full programme.
🎺Jazz classics: If the sounds of John Kirby, Raymond Scott and Duke Ellington are your thing, get down to the CBSO Centre on Saturday evening for a run-through of hits by the Symphonic Six. Full details.
I feel very sad about Smethwick Baths. They've been completely abandoned. Bearwood was very lucky to have its own swimming pool, gym, and fitness facilities, but they closed because of the big pool they built for the Commonwealth Games about a mile or two away. It's not an easily walkable distance.
The Baths are important historically to Bearwood. The basement was used as an air-raid shelter during the war (the pool was drained for the duration), and there is graffiti down there, in pencil, drawn by the children while they were waiting for the all-clear. I don't know if the vandals have got to it, but once the pool inevitably becomes a block of flats, will the graffiti be preserved?
I believe they used to put a cover over the pool to turn it into a concert venue. I'd worry about falling in!
And it's also haunted! I thought I was going mad when I was on a cross-trainer one day and saw a little girl in 1940s clothing running past me. But it turns out, I'm not the only person to have seen her. And there are other ghosts people have seen in the building. There can't be many haunted sports centres!
UCB used to have student halls at the top of a 26 floor tower block in Smethwick and also in Alum Rock - a welcome upgrade