Batley Baths: Historic town centre building to go under the hammer later this month
A date of when the historic Batley Baths building will be available to be bought at auction has been revealed.
The Grade II-listed former public baths will appear as a lot at an online property auction on Wednesday, January 28.
The auction will be held by Pugh, part of property consultancy Eddisons, with a guide price of £200,000.
Kirklees Council announced at the end of 2025 that the historic, and popular, building would be put up for auction in the New Year, as the local authority works to deliver £6.9m of savings required in 2026/27, according to its draft budget report.
The controversial announcement prompted criticism from local charities and campaigners who said last month that the decision represents “a profound failure to invest in community health and wellbeing,” and that the North Kirklees area is being “let down again.”
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 Tuesday, January 27, and closes the following day.
Full details, including viewing and bidding information, are available at www.pugh-auctions.com