Nottingham City Council have started a consultation process, with a view to shutting the Victoria Baths next to Sneinton Market.

The council say: "Closure of the centre, which is situated near Sneinton Market, is being considered as part of an £18.5 million Leisure Centre Transformation Programme to provide fewer but better quality community leisure centres across the City. "Victoria Leisure Centre is now over 150 years old. Recent inspections found that £1.3million is required to carry out just basic repairs and maintenance works"

Folks from the campaign 'Save Victoria Baths' had visited the Leisure Centre today and spoken to the Duty Manager. It seemed the staff had a meeting with their union representative yesterday who said that it was vitally important to organise a demonstration for THIS Tuesday 19 February.

There is a need to get together as many people as possible to descend on the Council House for 1:30pm, which is when the only public meeting on the fate of the Leisure Centre is being held.

This is the only open meeting which members of the public can attend and give the council their views!

After the demo on the 19th feb [ mentioned above], the next is:

Saturday 1 March 2008. 11.30am in Market Square

We will congregate outside the Council House in Market Square and then march en masse to the Leisure Centre, where a public meeting will be held.

Please get as many people as possible to come along to the demonstrations and show their support for the campaign. We need hundreds to get our message across to the council. Please make and bring placards and banners with you to raise awareness for the campaign.

Please download posters for these events at:

 http://www.ellieharrison.com/savevictoriabaths/vb-poster2.pdf

 http://www.ellieharrison.com/savevictoriabaths/vb-poster.pdf


Talk to the councillors:
Victoria Leisure Centre is in St Ann’s ward. There are three councillors for this ward who are Jon Collins (Labour), Dave Liversidge (Labour) and Sue Johnson (Labour). They hold drop-in surgeries every week to discuss issues with local residents. Please attend one of these surgeries and let them know your views on the council's plans to close Victoria Leisure Centre. St Ann’s ward surgeries are held at:

St Ann’s Advice Centre, Neighbourhood Centre, Robin Hood Chase
Every Tuesday, 10.00am - 11.00am

St Ann's Library, Robin Hood Chase
Every Wednesday, 6.00pm - 7.00pm

Carlton Road Library
2nd and 4th Saturday of every month, 10.00am -11.00am

Or you can call the councillors directly on:
Jon Collins: 0115 915 5624 or 07507 650 101
Dave Liversidge 0115 915 5038 or 0115 915 5638
Sue Johnson: 07971 026 907

The online petition is now up and running. Please sign it:  http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/savevicbaths

Also check out the latest info on the campaign website:  http://www.savevictoriabaths.org.uk

Nottingham City Council Info about leisure centres at:  http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/leisurecentres

Closure of Victoria Leisure Centre in 2008:
 http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/sitemap/services/leisure_and_culture/leisurecentres/leisureproposal.htm

Council asking for your views here:  http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/www/vlc/vlc.htm

City Council intends to Close popular leisure facility
 http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/nottinghamshire/2008/02/391188.html


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ALAN LODGE
Photographer - Media: One Eye on the Road. Nottingham. UK
Email:  tash@indymedia.org
Member of the National Union of Journalists [No: 014345]
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"It is not enough to curse the darkness.
It is also necessary to light a lamp!!"
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