VICTORIAN BATHS TO BE REVITALISED CITY LANDMARK GETS £5m LOTTERY CASH BOOST
AN investment of £5m by the National Lottery is set to transform Templemore Baths in east Belfast into a modern leisure and fitness facility.
Footballer George Best and actor James Ellis were among those who used the pool over the years.
Templemore was saved from closure in the early 1980s by a voluntary committee.
The Heritage Lottery Fund’s (HLF) heritage enterprise programme pledged the money to support Belfast City Council’s plans to breathe new life into the last surviving Victorian baths in Ireland.
The project, which is expected to cost £17m in total, will blend the old and the new features of the building.
The upgraded facilities will include a new 25m pool and stateof-the-art gym.
Templemore Baths was the last in a series of public baths to open in Belfast during the late 19th century.
It provided washing and sanitary facilities for families who moved to the area after they were attracted by east Belfast developments such as the Harland & Wolff shipyard.
Part of the complex is still used and many of its historic features — including the minor pool and slipper baths — remain intact but need restoring.
The new project will safeguard the historic features and share the story of the baths and the wider industrial and social development of east Belfast.
There will be events and activities in seven distinct zones in the original building, including tours, oral history workshops and volunteer opportunities.
Head of HLF Northern Ireland Paul Mullan said: “Templemore Baths has a special place in the heart of the local community and it is wonderful to be involved in this fantastic project.
“Thanks to National Lottery players this £5m investment will help to conserve this historic building and ensure it continues to be a valued and vital resource for the people of Belfast for many generations to come.”
Belfast City Councillor Jim Rodgers added: “We are absolutely delighted to have been awarded this funding by the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the restoration and redevelopment of Templemore Baths.
“The combined £17m invest- ment will have the dual benefit of restoring this iconic building to its former glory and allowing us to deliver our ambitious programme of improvements to leisure provision in Belfast.
“The work at Templemore Baths forms part of our city-wide Leisure Transformation Programme — our 10-year, £105m investment to develop seven new state-of-the-art leisure facilities, improving leisure services and programming to enable more people to get more active more often.”
Belfast City Council is investing £40m in new leisure facilities across east Belfast, including £20m in the Robinson Centre and £8m at Avoniel.
Templemore and Avoniel will remain open until Robinson Centre reopens next autumn.