Campaigners call it quits in Haslingden Pool battle

Last summer a community interest company was set up to save Haslingden Pool, in East Bank Avenue.

But the directors of Haslingden Pool Ltd has now confirmed that they have decided to call it a day.

The baths, first opened 82 years ago, was first closed by the local authority in November 2013.

In a statement, the directors said: "“It is with great sadness and regret that we, as a group, have decided we have gone as far as we can in our aim to reopen Haslingden Pool.

"We have worked extremely hard over the last few years to turn this project into a reality.

"It has been a really tough decision to make but unfortunately we have faced several setbacks and the challenges to open a pool that could sustain itself have been too great to overcome.

"We want to thank the Haslingden community for the support they have given us but we most of all want to thank the volunteers who have put in so much effort into this development.

"We want to thank the council for its help and assistance especially as the local authority has its own huge financial challenges. We hope the council's future plans for the site will benefit Haslingden."

In its final years, before it was mothballed by Rossendale Council, the venue suffered after surveyors stated that the crumbling building had "concrete cancer", a claim hotly disputed by the council.

Cllr Alyson Barnes, Rossendale Council leader, added: "It is sad to hear that Haslingden Pool Limited have called it a day.

"We have always been very supportive of their plans but we know how to get such a project off the ground is extremely difficult.

"I know the volunteers have put in a tremendous amount of work to get it to even this point.

"The council will now review its options on what to do with the site but we will ensure those plans benefit the town."

The campaign to reopen the baths started out life as HAPPI (Haslingden All People’s Pool Initiative), with various unsuccessful dates given for relaunches.