Batley Baths protest: ‘It belongs to the community and we will fight for it’

Organised by community activist Tanisha Bramwell and several other campaigners, the protest started outside Batley Town Hall at 11.30am on Saturday, March 4, in protest against the permanent closure of Batley Baths on Cambridge street.

Over 100 people marched around Batley town centre in solidarity before hearing speeches from guest speakers such as Batley Baths user Martin Shelton, Community activist Julie Malinson and Yasar Ahmed.

The protest follows the Council’s announcement that the popular Kirklees Active Leisure (KAL) centre could face permanent closure, after temporarily closing its doors on December 16 due to significant operating costs.

Talking after the protest, Tanisha said: “It was so good and the turn-out was great, by the end of the protest there were around 130 people - it was exactly what we needed.

“The diversity in the crown was beautiful, we had every race, colour and age, and it's because everybody cares about this.

“We pulled the protest together in just over a week because on Wednesday (March 8) is the full council budget meeting.

“Ultimately, the council is not opening any lines of communication when it comes to engaging with their communities. There are barriers on barriers.

“They are refusing to prioritise this closure which has had detrimental effects on so many local lives, in particular with the loss of the women's classes.

“Councillor Fazila Loonat has been very supportive and instrumental in helping the campaign and so has Batley and Spen MP Kim Leadbeater, who has been positive, supportive and effective - I would like to say a massive thank you to both of them.

“But unfortunately this isn't enough. We want to see council elected officials prioritise sit down meetings with their community to discuss this closure properly.

“This is only the start. We will keep fighting and we will take back this asset because it is ours, it belongs to the community and we will fight for it.”