I'm new to the forum, but have been logging on as a guest for a while now.

Can someone explain what is so wonderful about the pool building, other than the fact that it's old and Victorian? I stood in front of it pondering why you guys want to keep it. I can see why EH didn't list it. I frankly cannot see why this shockingly bad example of Victorian facadism should remain.

If you force the council to retain the building, and Forest Hill doesn't get a pool and other community facilities, you will have a lot of explaining to do to my 5 year old son and other young families in the area.

Why should the council spend more public money on saving a building that English Heritage does not deem worthy of listing, when there are people sleeping rough and existing in poverty in our borough? I think we're extremely lucky to be offered these new facilities at all.

Its interesting that the 'anti' lobby is more vocal than those that are in favour of the new pools, but I guess that's always the case. It does give a false impression of local feeling though. A majority of people I know in FH want the new pools for their children to learn to swim safely and in comfort - not in a Victorian shed!

Ironically, I know what the Victorians would have done in this situation. They wouldn't have given a second thought to bulldozing the redundant and building something new. They kept what was practical, useful and (sometimes) beautiful from previous generations, but embraced the new.