Council moves to pull plug on Baths

Developers working on the long-overdue Bristol North Baths project have been served an ultimatum by the city council who are threatening to terminate their contract.

The council served a legal letter on Chatsworth Homes on Monday over the £3.4 million controversy-hit conversion on Gloucester Road.

Chatsworth Homes, who were supposed to have finished the new doctors’ surgery, library and flats more than two years ago, have two weeks to “get their act together”, after which the council will pull the plug on funds and finish the work itself.

The move, which has been sought after developers missed numerous targets and failed to uphold basic standards of work, could see the project completed by the summer of 2016.

The council has insisted it would not lose money on the project, despite lending Chatsworth Homes more than £3.4 million to carry out the work so far, and having to pay for the rest of the work to be completed.

A 2011 deal between the council and Chatsworth Homes for the conversion included a loan of £3.4 million to complete the new medical practice, library and block of 10 flats on the adjacent car park.

It also included the option for Chatsworth Homes to buy the site where the current library is on Cheltenham Road and develop it into flats.

Video: A look inside the former Bristol North Baths for those who can recognise the poolside http://t.co/0xhQMaZqdW pic.twitter.com/ecqBAvwnTP

— Anthony Ward (@Anth0ny_Ward) October 7, 2015

The project was supposed to be complete by October 2013. But after numerous delays the council put a stop to the development and ordered a review in 2014 which found unsatisfactory standards of work.

A new finish date was agreed in early 2015 for this summer, which was also missed. A major blow came when Bishopston Medical Practice announced it would be pulling out as prospective tenants in October.

With the delays and missed targets, Chatsworth Homes are thought to have run out of money trying to cover spiralling costs. They are yet to comment on the council’s latest move.

The council, which still owns the site, says it plans to recoup all costs by selling the flats which are weeks away from completion and either leasing the medical centre to a practice or selling the freehold to an investor. The library would remain in public ownership.

The authority also plans to sell the Cheltenham Road Library site, which already has planning permission for flats.

George Ferguson, mayor of Bristol, called the project a “disaster of a scheme” and said the council has given Chatsworth Homes two weeks to “get their act together”.

He added: “If they are unable to do so, which I suspect will be the case, the council will be taking back control of the site and making sure the project is finished to a proper standard.”

Local resident and Save Bristol North Baths campaigner James Savage said the council had spent too long “delaying the inevitable” and should have acted sooner.

He urged the council to rethink the plans and commit to not selling the freehold of the building. “The goal for the council now will be to get their money back. But I would ask them to consider leasing the building and not selling it, to preserve part of it as a public space.”

Bristol24/7 contacted Chatsworth Homes for a comment.