Cov Baths demolition approved by Historic England

21 August 2025

Simon GilbertBBC Political Reporter, Coventry and Warwickshire

News image — The site of the Olympic sized swimming pool in Coventry is a Grade II listed building.

BBC The abandoned Olympic pool site in Coventry showing water damage at the bottom of and empty pool and empty red seats in a stand to the right of the pool. — The site of the Olympic sized swimming pool in Coventry is a Grade II listed building.

Historic England will not stand in the way of Coventry's Grade II listed Olympic-sized swimming pool building being demolished.

But the organisation, responsible for deciding which buildings should be protected with listed status, said whatever replaced it should "preserve or enhance the setting of Coventry Cathedral".

The BBC revealed on Tuesday that Coventry City Council plans to bring forward demolition plans before the end of the year for the city centre swimming pool section of the former Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre site, known locally as "Cov Baths", amid spiralling costs.

An abandoned red water slide in the swimming pool building with the pool surrounding it drained of any water.

The abandoned Olympic pool site in Coventry showing water damage at the bottom of and empty pool and empty red seats in a stand to the right of the pool.

The site of the former Splash Pool in Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre has sat empty along with the rest of the site since the building closed in 2020.

The site of the Olympic sized swimming pool in Coventry is a Grade II listed building.

A Historic England spokesperson said: "Historic England is not minded to object to the demolition of the Central Baths, given its condition, the nature and cost of remedial works and the absence of viable proposals to secure its future."

The organisation said there appeared to be "no realistic prospect of viable reuse for the building due to the substantial ongoing costs of security and maintenance".

They added whatever replaced the 1966 building "should strive to equal the civic ambition displayed in the Central Baths when they first opened."

The demolition plans will not affect the adjoining leisure centre section of the building, known locally as the "The Elephant".

The council is still optimistic of finding a new occupier for that site, which was recently the subject of a petition to bring it back into use.

The council owns the building and granted an exclusivity agreement to Rainier Developments to attract a developer after the leisure centre's 2020 closure. But five years of marketing efforts have failed to attract a buyer.

Councillor Jim O'Boyle, Labour cabinet member for regeneration at Coventry City Council, told the BBC he would be sad to see the building go, but he felt it was time with £400,000 a year being spent on mothballing and security costs for the site.

He said: "Nobody wanted this to happen, it's with a heavy heart. I'm a Coventrian, I've used the building many, many times, I've got great memories of it and I feel very sad that we've come to this decision.

"But we have to come to tis decision in the best interests of the city and the best interests of the taxpayers."

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