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Victory Baths opening hours, and why we are asking for change

  • Mar 6
  • 3 min read

Renfrew Victory Baths is an important local facility and has been since it was gifted to the people of Renfrew over 100 years ago.


Swimming is one of the most affordable ways to stay active, and for many residents it is the easiest form of exercise to build into a routine.


Over recent months, we have heard from residents who feel the published opening hours at Renfrew Victory Baths are significantly more limited than other local pools.


The issue comes up most often for people who can only attend early morning, after work, or at the weekend.


This is why Renfrew Community Council has written to OneRen to ask for a clear explanation of the constraints, and for practical options to improve access.


Current published opening times


Renfrew Victory Baths

  • Monday: 9am to 12pm, and 3pm to 8pm

  • Tuesday: 3pm to 8pm

  • Wednesday: 12pm to 8pm

  • Thursday: 4pm to 7pm

  • Friday: 9am to 6pm

  • Saturday: 10am to 1pm

  • Sunday: 10am to 2pm


For context, these are the published opening times for nearby facilities.

ON-X Linwood

  • Monday to Friday: Main pool 7am to 8pm (restricted use due to swimming lessons 3.30pm to 8pm)

  • Saturday and Sunday: Main pool 10am to 4pm (restricted use due to lessons 10am to 12.30pm)


Lagoon Leisure Centre, Paisley

  • Monday to Friday: 7am to 8pm

  • Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 4pm


Erskine Pool

  • Monday: 12pm to 8pm

  • Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: 7.30am to 11.30am, and 3pm to 8pm

  • Friday: 12pm to 6pm

  • Saturday and Sunday: 9am to 3pm


Do the current Renfrew Victory Baths opening times work for your routine (work, school run, caring, transport)?

  • Yes

  • No


Why the Renfrew hours are a problem for residents


A pool can be “open” and still be difficult to use if the times do not match how people actually live. Here is what we hear most often from residents:


Early morning access is missing in Renfrew.

At Linwood and Paisley, weekday opening starts at 7am. Erskine has 7.30am starts on key weekdays.


Renfrew has no early morning opening at all. That rules out people who would swim before work or before the school run.


Some weekdays offer very limited choice.

On Tuesday, Renfrew is only open 3pm to 8pm. On Thursday, it is 4pm to 7pm.


That makes it difficult for anyone who works shifts, finishes later, or needs a consistent weekly routine.


Weekend access is short compared with nearby pools.

Renfrew is open 3 hours on Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday. Paisley and Linwood are both published as 10am to 4pm at weekends, and Erskine is 9am to 3pm.


For many families, weekends are when swimming is realistic, so shorter windows can mean missed opportunities.


It creates an uneven picture of access across the area.

Residents see longer published hours elsewhere and ask, quite reasonably, why Renfrew’s offer is so much narrower.


What the Community Council has done


On 5 March 2026, Renfrew Community Council wrote to OneRen’s Chief Executive, Dr Victoria Hollows, to raise these concerns. We asked OneRen for two things:


  1. A clear explanation of the operational constraints affecting Victory Baths opening hours, including things like staffing, programmed activity, building layout, energy costs, and maintenance.

  2. Practical options to improve access in Renfrew, either through a phased extension of hours or a time-limited trial. For example, an additional early morning session on selected weekdays, a later evening session on one or two nights, or a longer weekend window, with usage monitored to assess viability.

If OneRen is open to exploring changes or a trial, we have offered to support this by gathering resident feedback on preferred times, for example through a short survey, and helping promote any trial arrangements locally to give them the best chance of success.


What we are and are not asking for


We are not asking OneRen to ignore cost, staffing realities, or safety.


We are asking for transparency about what is limiting the timetable, and for a realistic plan to improve access if it is possible.


What happens next


We have asked OneRen for a written response outlining their position and next steps. As soon as we receive a reply, we will share an update with residents and explain what it means in practice.

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