The Bruce Street Baths are never likely to be opened as such ever again.

At a West Dunbartonshire Council cultural committee meeting on Monday, the decision was taken to re-open the baths – but as a venue for exhibitions.

Councillors decided it would be too costly to open them again as any type of water-based facility.

The historic building will now be used to house exhibitions, as it was in 2017, when a huge Lego display was on show to members of the public.

At Monday’s meeting, chair Bailie Denis Agnew said: “The baths are a much-loved part of the heritage of Clydebank.

“But there are a raft of issues to bring the building up to the health and safety standards which are required in 2020.

“I was one of the many people from Clydebank who used the baths previously, but although that era is past, we should retain as much of it as possible if it can be used for other purposes.”

Councillors were also told there was an issue with heating the historic building.

The C-listed Baroque-style baths were first opened in 1932 and were among the few buildings to survive the 1941 Blitz.

In 2017, the council invested £90,000 into refurbishing the facility to be the first and only venue in Scotland to host the Brick Histories Lego exhibit from June 16 to September 2.

Read more: Clydebank Town Hall set to be used more and become ‘community hub’

And it is now this sort of travelling event they hope to entice into the baths.

Independent Bailie Agnew added: “It was the Lego event which changed my view on potential use of the baths.

“It is a great exhibition space, but it would require a lot of supervision as it has many cubby holes, and we would have to make sure people leave when they are supposed to.

“There has been a detailed report on them, and they would require big changes to be opened up as a swimming venue again.

“As the new care home is being built next door, this could lead to further issues with health and safety and noise etc.

“The most important thing for me is value for money.

“We have spent a lot, but we should invest more in the baths.”

Provost William Hendrie also called on the council to advertise the building more to make residents aware it was there.

He said: “I don’t see it being returned to being a pool with changing rooms but there is the possibility we could use it as a museum.

“People don’t know the place exists, if they did, it would attract more people too.”