Repair grant boost for historic Govanhill Baths

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Govanhill Baths
Image caption,

Govanhill Baths was awarded a £1.2m lottery grant last month

Plans to restore and reopen a historic Glasgow municipal bath house have been given a further financial boost.

Govanhill Baths has been awarded £500,000 for repair and refurbishment work by new heritage body Historic Environment Scotland, external (HES).

Last month, the site was awarded £1.2m in initial support by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The venue, which closed in 2001 despite a local campaign to save it, reopened in 2013 as a community hub.

It is run by Govanhill Baths Community Trust, which plans to reopen two pools, a Turkish suite, theatre venue and an arts space.

Govanhill is one of five projects which are sharing a total of £1.7m in building repair grants from HES.

The others include the former Dumbarton Academy and Burgh Hall, which will receive £500,000 for refurbishment.

Built in 1865 and designed by renowned Scottish architect William Leiper, the Category A listed building will be used as the new West Dunbartonshire Council headquarters.

Other grants:

  • A grant of £345,000 will be used for essential repair work at the former British Linen Bank in the Gorbals, Glasgow. It is due to undergo a major restoration, as part of a wider scheme to regenerate the surrounding area

  • Old Achintore School in Fort William will receive £269,750 for repairs and conversion into a civic centre for the town

  • Almost £67,000 has been earmarked for the former Davidson Cottage Hospital in Girvan, South Ayrshire, a B listed, single-storey building built in the 1920s.

The repair grants are part of a wider commitment by HES to invest about £14m annually in the historic environment, through initiatives such as conservation area regeneration schemes and archaeological excavations and surveys.

Image source, Thomas Nugent
Image caption,

The former British Linen Bank building in the Gorbals is among five projects benefiting from HES repair grants

HES chairwoman Jane Ryder said: "These five grant recipients are a fine example of that collaboration working in practice, where the building owners are drawing on finance and expertise from us, as well as working with partners - which usually include local authorities, community groups, and other investment bodies - in order to bring these important historic buildings back into reuse.

"The scheme isn't just about repairing old buildings which have fallen into disrepair though: the end use of each of these projects is something which will greatly benefit the communities living around it."

HES is the new lead public body for the country's historic environment, having brought together Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland.

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