Batley Baths to go under the hammer

Kirklees Council has announced that the historic Batley Baths building is to be put up for auction as the local authority works to deliver £6.9m of savings required in 2026/27, according to its draft budget report.

The Grade II-listed former public baths will appear as a lot in the 28 January online property auction held by Pugh, part of property consultancy Eddisons, with a guide price of £200,000.

Located on Cambridge Street close to Batley town centre, the late-Victorian, Grade II-listed building is one of the town’s most recognisable civic landmarks. Batley Baths was designed by local architect Walter Hanstock and opened in 1893, at a time when bathhouses were considered essential to public health, providing community bathing and swimming facilities when few homes had bathrooms.

Following its closure in 2023, the property has been declared surplus to requirements, with Kirklees Council citing rising operating and maintenance costs as part of wider financial pressures on local government.

Pugh director Will Thompson said: “Batley Baths represents a rare opportunity to acquire a substantial former baths and leisure centre with significant heritage appeal. The building is set on a 0.7-acre site and includes the main building and an associated car park.”

The stone-built baths property is arranged over three storeys plus a basement. The building includes a 23m by 10m swimming pool, sports hall, fitness studio, sauna and steam room, office space, and changing and toilet facilities.

Mr Thompson added: “Properties of this scale and character often attract strong interest from developers and investors, particularly where there is scope for conversion or redevelopment, subject to the necessary consents.

“It would be a really positive outcome if the sale of the baths to an imaginative new owner could give the property a new purpose and lease of life, as well as raising vital funds for the local authority.”

Bidding on Batley Baths opens on 27 January and closes the following day.