Turkish baths in Milton Road are closed for repairs (From Swindon Advertiser)

Turkish baths in Milton Road are closed for repairs

5:52pm Thursday 4th October 2012 in News By Josh Layton

THE Turkish baths at the Health Hydro have become the latest part of Swindon’s creaking leisure centres needing to undergo repairs.

The area at the Milton Road centre was forced to shut the spa and the plunge pool after abnormally high bacteria readings were found.

The plunge pool has since re-opened but the spa remains shut while work takes place to replace the filtering and disinfection system.

All other aspects of the baths are working as normal.

The closure follows news that the swimming pool at the Link Centre will not re-open for at least five months after major structural problems were found.

The Link Centre,which was built in the mid-1980s, was initially meant to be closed for six weeks but, after old tiles were removed, cracks were found in the concrete ducts around the pool.

The Health Hydro is also in need of a revamp and could be refurbished as a health spa under a £2m project by Swindon Council.

The grade II-listed building, in Milton Road, was built in 1892 for the town’s railway workers.

The refurbishment would bring it back to its Victorian glory with the addition of 21st century facilities to attract users from across the region.

Council leader Rod Bluh said the Health Hydro is subsidised so the idea is to find a private spa operator to pay for the refurbishment, place it better in the marketplace, and run the council-owned building at a profit.

In addition to the swimming poll the Health Hydro also has two steam rooms, three interconnecting hot rooms, a large rest room and showers. Swindon Council has already held meetings with two operators and will step up its efforts to find others over the next six months.

A spokesman said: “The water quality in all our pools is tested regularly.

“In early September it was found that there were higher-than normal bacteria readings in the spa and plunge pool at the Health Hydro, so it was closed as a precaution.

“These levels weren’t in any way dangerous to health, but they showed that further investigations were needed to pinpoint the cause.

“Following investigations it was decided that the filtering and disinfecting system needed to be replaced.

“We are hoping to have the spa open again in November. The plunge pool has already re-opened.”