Work on the Ironmonger Row Baths site. Photo: Simon Bajowski

After a two year refurbishment Ironmonger Row Baths will officially reopen on Friday 15 November, it has been revealed.

Following lengthy delays with the project, Islington Borough Council has announced that the historic baths are finally ready for public use.

More details about the opening are still to be announced, with the council refusing to comment, but for nearby residents it will mark the end of a very frustrating few years.

The public baths, first opened in 1931, originally closed over two years ago as part of a £16m renovation programme, including the restoration and refurbishment of the Turkish Baths and an extended spa area.

However, while the project was meant to be completed in time for the Olympics, delays in the construction process have added to the frustration of nearby residents.

For people such as Dawn Boswall, 44, owner of the Britannia Pub on Ironmonger Row, the opening can’t come soon enough.

She said: “It’s been an absolute nightmare. There’s been a succession of lorries, heavy goods vehicles coming up and down the road every day, and you did notice.

“During the week it was very quiet, it made things quite difficult for us.”

As well as past grievances, the council also faces public concerns over the future of the baths. The appointment of Greenwich Leisure Ltd to manage the baths instead of Aquaterra – the company previously in charge and whose sole purpose is to run leisure services in Islington – has left many worried about how well the historic site will be reintegrated into the community.

Ms Boswall commented: “Hopefully it will be worth it. The amount of time it’s been shut it should be pretty spectacular, enough money has been spent on it.”