Bath Place bosses hopeful of move

Kevin Unitt

09 October 2009

BATH Place Community Venture bosses hope to get the keys to their new temporary home at old Leamington library next week.
Leaders and volunteers, working tirelessly since a fire gutted the centre's home, have been offered the disused former library building in Avenue Road on a rent-free basis, subject to owners Warwickshire College getting permission from its insurers.
Bath Place Community Venture director Steve Bayliss told the Observer yesterday (Wednesday): “The old library would be a perfect location as it would give us space.
“Whether it is a temporary move or a permanent one we would have to see.
“We don't know at this stage what the future holds.
“We could even look into raising finances to buy the old library building ourselves.”
Meanwhile the Bath Place nursery is currently running from Shrubland Street School and playgroup from Sure Start children's centre in Clemens Street, while the possibility of running a mobile catering unit to allow the award-winning Veggie Table café to continue is still being investigated.
Work was being carried out on Bath Place roof when the fire took hold just after 3pm on September 24. Some 50 people were in the building at the time, but all were evacuated quickly and safely.
The centre – which has been running since 1974 – had been used by around 30 groups and was regularly seeing up to 900 people a week through its doors.
No work has been carried out on the building since, with Mr Bayliss saying indications suggested nothing would be done at all at the site for at least six months, whether it is to be rebuilt or not.
“Ideally we would love our building back but I think there might be a view from the council that it is not worth rebuilding it,” he added.
Asked for an update on the cause of fire he said: “We certainly believe, or the indications are, that the fire took hold at the same time a blow torch was being used as part of work on the building's roof, though investigations are still being carried out.”
For updates visit the Facebook site - Bath Place Community Venture.

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