Is Penzance The New Bath?
04-25-2016
Could Penzance become the new Bath?
Initial plans for a spa-like pool have gone to officials.
It would use geothermal energy to heat part of the Jubilee Pool and things like hot tubs.
Martin Nixon from the Friends of Jubilee Pool says it is early days, but it is a winning idea: "It's not only the experience of being in the pool but it's also a catalyst for the future regeneration of Penzance. This would create an all year round facility for Penzance which I think would definitely put Penzance on the map so it's very, very exciting.
"It is very early days but if we could make it happen then clearly it would be a good thing for Penzance's economy but I would suggest for Cornwall as well because it is one of those things that would make Penzance and Cornwall different from other locations.
"There are really good examples of other spa facilities, not least in Bath, and Bath I think is the model here. There's an open top roof top pool in the Bath Thermae Spa which is the main reason why most people go to Bath these days. So forget Jane Austen and Georgian architecture, people go there for that one simple pleasure of bathing in hot water at the top of that building and there's data to prove that. An extra £75 million has been spent in Bath in the last 12 years because of that open top pool."
The Friends of Jubilee Pool added on its Facebook page: "This could create an all year round facility much like Bath Thermae Spa's rooftop pool, which over the last 12 years has brought £75m of extra visitor spend into the city's economy. So as this image shows, you could visit the pool for a hot seawater dip on a crisp day in February, or for that matter a rainy afternoon in November.
"It's very early days and planning permission and the necessary EU funding for the applicant Geothermal Energy Ltd has yet to be confirmed. If EU funding is granted and the project does proceed, a further project to create a heated section of the pool will be required- the exact location and design has yet."