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Opportunity to take over the management of Jacob Wells Baths, Jacob Wells Road, Bristol, BS8 1DX

We're inviting expressions of interest from voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations that have the necessary expertise and imaginative proposals to lease and take over the management of this Grade II listed building through Community Asset Transfer.

How to apply

See the Mayor's blog about Jacob Wells Baths for background information and details of how to apply.

The closing date for expressions of interest is Tuesday 2 May at 9am. An initial decision will be made in May.

About the property

Jacob Wells Baths is Grade II listed and consists of a central swimming pool, lantern roof, side blocks, boiler house and a large chimney. The former Hotwell Public Baths opened in 1889. The water for the pool came from Jacob's Well on Brandon Hill.

The baths closed in the late 1970s and the building converted into a community managed dance centre. This closed in 2016. Since then, the building has been used on a temporary basis for dance, music, art and community activities.

Information about the old public baths and the building, on the Jacobs Wells Community website.

Floorplans and other related documents are available as part of the 2015 planning application.

Previous CAT process (2017)

A large, national charity was selected in 2017 to restore the building and bring it back into use as a swimming pool, leisure centre, dance and arts venue, and community centre.

Unfortunately, due to the COVID pandemic and the rise in energy prices, this project was not completed. The charity eventually withdrew from the project at the end of 2022.

The Jacobs Wells Baths prospectus from 2017 is available on the Mayor's blog. It hasn't been updated, but the information about the property and the type of organisation we're looking for is still relevant.

Feedback: Technical workshop

As part of the Community Asset Transfer ('CAT') process we held a technical workshop for prospective bidders and partners on 3 May 2017.

This was designed to give anyone considering formally expressing an interest an opportunity to ask questions of the various council departments, the surveyor and partner organisations.

Notes from the technical workshop are on the Jacobs Wells Community Hub website.

Feedback: public information event 

We organised an information event for the Jacobs Wells Baths building on 28 February 2017.

This was attended by more than 70 people interested in the future of the Baths, including some of the previous and existing users of the building.

Notes from the public information meeting are available on the Jacobs Wells Community Hub website.