Camden Council splashes out £25 million to restore historic baths

22 July, 2010

Wates Construction have successfully completed the £25million restoration of Kentish Town Sports centre, ensuring outstanding new facilities for the local community in the London Borough of Camden.

The 18 month project has been completed on budget and ahead of programme and has seen the historic 1901 Victorian building being restored to its former glory. 

Fiona Dean, Camden Council’s Assistant Director for Culture and Sport, said, ‘I am delighted that we are opening Kentish Town Sports Centre on time and on cost. The restoration project has been a huge success for Camden Council, Wates Construction and all our partners. The commitment and enthusiasm of the Wates team and site managers has been outstanding. We have worked collaboratively to ensure the centre remained in keeping with its original Victorian design, while bringing the facility up to a modern standard that will provide high-quality leisure facilities for Camden residents.' 

Appointed in January 2009, Wates have had a resounding 390 days accident free which is hugely significant on such a challenging refurbishment project.    

The project has seen the original structures and features being preserved to ensure a sympathetic and considered approach to the refurbishment.  Features of historical interest needed to be retained and restored to their former beauty to ensure Camden Council had a building that not only provided vital facilities to the local area, but retained its historical significance for future generations. 

The leisure centre now offers the local community a range of top quality facilities including:

• Three swimming pools: the magnificent refurbished five lane Willes pool, a new 25 metre Grafton pool, and a new teaching pool
• 90 gym stations, using the latest Techno gym cardio and resistance equipment
• New Wii Fit interactive area and café

The building has achieved a 'Very Good' BREEAM rating, a huge achievement for a refurbishment project of such an historic building, and waste created has been kept to a minimum with 97.99% being reclaimed or recycled.

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Categories: refurbishment, local authority frameworks, culture and heritage, CR, health and safety, people, london & south east

Tags: BREEAM, kentish town, leisure centre, restoration, Swimming pool, Victorian