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Recommendations to demolish Forest Hill Pools and replace the building with a new leisure facility have been accepted by the Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock.

It was a decision that Steve said was difficult to make: ?I tried very hard to find a way to save the old pools but there is no affordable way to do it. It came as a real blow to find that the work needed to refurbish the pool was much greater than we anticipated.?

Several surveys of the pool were conducted by engineers showed the pools are beyond repair. Attempts to refurbish them would result in spiralling costs. Steve said: ?Faced with that fact, I took the only responsible decision that someone in my position could do ? replace the Victorian building with a modern 21st century building.?
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Currently, detailed costs and timelines on refurbishment of Forest Hill Pools are being worked up by council officers in Property Services.

The Council has asked Parkwood Leisure to continue to have a staff presence at the pool, and keep the Victorian pool plant working and the building heated to ensure its structural integrity. A 24 hour security presence is also on site.

September 2007


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The intrusive survey into Forest Hill Pools has concluded that the building has retained its structural integrity, that the defects can be rectified and that refurbishing the pools is a viable option. It has also concluded that the original roof should be replaced with a more cost and energy efficient new structure.

However, all the advice and experience of others, tells us that this kind of renovation work to Victorian buildings is costly and extremely challenging. There are real risks that the need for further work may be unearthed as the refurbishment begins in earnest.

Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, said 'So far so good, I am pleased that we can now go on to the next stage of the project in the new year'.

The overall costs of the works outlined in the survey could increase by 20% (?781,000) bringing the total figure up to ?5.05m. However, it should be stressed that these figures are early estimates based on the survey findings and will need to be revised as the design and specifications for the project are worked up.

19 December 2006