Campaigners desperate to see a historic swimming baths reopened will today take their fight to the council house when they deliver a 3,000 name petition to city leisure chiefs.
A decision will be made on funding to reopen a second pool at Moseley Road, in Balsall Heath, which has been closed since 2003.
The petition will demand that the Grade II-listed building is kept a publicly owned facility and its rare architectural features are restored.
The city’s new leisure boss, Coun Martin Mullaney, is expected to approved a £2.5 million package to improve swimming pools in Birmingham at a cabinet meeting scheduled for today.
Campaigners will also urge the council to refurbish and reopen Sparkhill swimming pool, which has been shut since July 2008 because of structural problems.
Banners will be unfurled outside both baths this morning by supporters.
Russ Spring, spokesman for Friend of Moseley Road Baths, said: “We are hopeful that we can persuade the council to do the right thing by showing them the level of public feeling.
“We have been encouraged by some of Coun Mullaney’s comments but I don’t think we will be able to relax until the money is on the table.
“We are prepared for a long slog because a lot of work needs to be done and there are complications with old buildings.”
Mr Spring said Coun Mullaney’s pledge that every resident in Birmingham would live within 20 minutes’ walk of a swimming pool had made the group optimistic about the future of Moseley Road.
Three other projects are expected to get the backing of councillors today.
They are the 50m Olympic swimming centre planned for Ladywood, a new pool and gym for Harborne, and the rebuilding of Sparkhill Baths.
But on to the back burner is the revamp of Stechford’s Cascades Centre.
