Greater Manchester Respect

Manchester City Council has reversed its decision to close Levenshulme Baths. It has admitted that it misjudged the level of anger and opposition the closure provoked. Its Finance Committee has produced a solution whereby the Baths will be kept open for the next two years and then replaced with a new facility. This was agreed on Monday, 28 February.

Marie-Angelique Bueler, Friends of Levenshulme Convenor and Chair of the Save Our Baths campaign that has mobilized the community, said, ’the people of Levenshulme, Longsight and Gorton have won a hugely significant victory in stopping this public service cut. It shows the power of protest to shift the agenda away from simply asking which service should close to an alternative option of ways to keep our communities alive when the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition government tries to ruin Manchester.

‘Every person that has spoken out against the closure of the Levenshulme Baths has won today. However, celebration is premature. We know that the ConDems want to cut for years to come and no public service is safe. We know that the Labour council has been trying to close Levenshulme Baths for twenty years. We know that other services are threatened across Manchester and every one that is closed will increase the pressure to close more.

‘Manchester and Britain needs an alternative to the destruction of our services and communities. The Save Our Baths campaign will keep pushing for a better service that is publicly funded. We want to produce alternative proposals for keeping and improving services in Manchester and for strengthening our communities rather than letting them be destroyed.

‘Levenshulme Baths is not just a swimming pool. It is like a community centre with a gym, sauna, steam room, massage room, clubs for women, over 50s, children. It has the only training pool in South Manchester for children to learn to swim and four local schools use it for lessons. Because of previous closures, it serves people across South East Manchester and requires expansion not closure. Our community has demonstrated that it deserves a better future than has been offered and we will keep fighting for it.’

There is a protest planned against cuts in Manchester on Saturday 5 March at 11.30am meeting at All Saints Square off Oxford Road. There is also a lobby of the full meeting of Manchester City Council on Wednesday 9 March at 9am in Albert Square outside the town hall.