Coventry Swimming Baths and “The Elephant” – Coventry Society’s Position
The Coventry Society, like many local organisations and Coventrians, is disappointed that the Council wishes to demolish the Swimming Baths (also known as the Central Baths).
It was listed as grade two by Historic England in 1997 for four reasons:
- Architectural interest – This includes an impressive full height glazed south wall
- Historic interest – One of the most ambitious baths built in the UK in the 1960s
- Innovation – Provision of a wide range of facilities including three pools resulted in it becoming a national training centre and a venue for international events
- Association – Designed by Coventry City Council Architects Department which was responsible for many important buildings in the city centre in the post-war period.
A Grade 2 listed building is defined as a UK building or structure that is “of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve it”. Grade 2 is a classification that can be applied to a wide variety of buildings and other structures, in a range of ages, styles and locations. Grade two listing means that the building is significant but is not exceptional. Grade one or grade two* is reserved for these types of properties.
The Elephant Building, which was built in 1977 as a leisure centre for the city, is not listed despite a campaign involving Coventry Society and the Twentieth Century Society in 2015. Its future is uncertain but there are rumours that it will be used by Coventry University.
Both buildings are owned by the Council. Although there has been no formal announcement to demolish the Swimming Baths, leading councillors have stated that there is no viable reuse for the building.
Apparently, the Council has ‘tested the water’ through an exclusivity agreement with a developer, but this came to nothing!
In addition, the cost of maintaining and securing both buildings has been £2.3 million since 2020. In the case of the Swimming Baths, the Council must apply for listed building consent for demolition.
Reluctantly the society has to agree with Historic England that the ongoing cost of maintaining and securing the Swimming Baths and the Elephant in a period of financial austerity is not appropriate.
Therefore, with some reluctance, we will not oppose in principle the demolition of the Swimming Baths.
However, we do so with four caveats. Any application for listed building consent for demolition must include:
- A detailed and thorough report demonstrating that there is no alternative viable use for the Swimming Baths
- A clear statement on the long-term use of the Sports Cenre Elephant Building.
- A comprehensive study on the proposed future use of the site of the Swimming Baths that rules out purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA)
- A statement on how the redevelopment and reuse of the Swimming Baths site will take account of its sensitive location adjacent to the Cathedral Quarter
In conclusion, we demand that a high quality proposal for the future use of the Swimming Baths site is 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 they first opened”.