Pool site demolition without plan 'disappointing'

Approving the demolition of an historic swimming pool without confirmed plans for what the future of the site holds is "disappointing", according to a city organisation.

The government has approved plans to knock down Coventry's Olympic-sized pool, which was closed in 2020 and has been empty ever since.

Tim Brown, chair of the Coventry Society, which campaigns for the protection of historic buildings in the city said the group felt it was "not good practice to approve the demolition of a listed building before its replacement is known".

The authority has said the Grade II-listed, council-owned building had "come to its natural end," and had spiralling maintenance costs.

Figures obtained by the BBC in August last year revealed almost £2.3m had been spent on Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre by the council since it was shut in February 2020.

"It is really disappointing that over the last six months the council has been conspicuous by its silence on this matter," said Brown.

Prior to the Secretary of State's decision, the society had objected to the demolition of the pool, dismissing the council's claims of there being no viable alternative for reusing the site.

It demanded a "high-quality proposal" for the future use of the Fairfax Street site be brought forward so that Coventry and its citizens "can be proud of the development in future decades."

"In the words of Historic England, it should strive to equal the civic ambition displayed in the Central Baths when opened," the society argued.

Documents reveal the site was viewed by seven interested parties since its closure, according to the 20th Century Society, which had also objected to the council's plans, arguing that there was insufficient justification for total demolition.

The council had classified two formal bids to take over the site as "unviable" it said.

Designed in 1956, the adjoining "elephant" building is to be retained and detached from the baths, it said.

Jim O'Boyle, Coventry City Council's former Cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change, said he had tried to get the baths repurposed "but ultimately the costs of refurbishment and the return that anyone would have on that was found to just be too great, and nobody would take that risk".

O'Boyle said "once demolition starts, the one thing that Historic England understands, and I would expect as well, is that there would be a plan as to what would come next".

His successor in the regeneration role, Labour's Deputy Leader Cllr Lynnette Kelly, said the council would invite developers to submit plans once the baths were bulldozed and would "look at all opportunities that come our way".

The building is Grade II-listed, but Historic England has agreed not to raise any objection to the demolition after the council asked it to disregard the listing because maintenance costs were too high.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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