Swimming pools & swimmers

It's been announced this morning that the City Council are to develop a new 25m pool and "Water Park" in New Union Street to replace the 50m Olympic pool in Fairfax Street at a cost of somewhere in the region of £36m WHY? Surely it would be better spending a fraction of that money regenerating the facilities that we already have. And where would our swimmers of the future then train? Currently, I'm led to believe, the nearest 50m pool is at High Wycombe! - although Nottingham will be opening one in 12 months time! Thats ok then! The Telegraph article can be found here.

Hi Tony I saw this on the midlands news this morning and like you was very surprised given the pool size and the lack of them locally.

And someone on the radio this morning happened to "let slip" that it might replace Christchurch House in New Union Street. New Union Street had been mentioned in the article but up until this point nobody had mentioned flattening Christchurch House - which is currently used by the Councils "Coventry Direct" and "Housing Benefits" services. No doubt their plan is to relocate those services to Friargate!

I believe the Sports Centre is a listed building, does that just mean the external apperance has to remain? Birmingham's plans for a 50m pool were approved in 2009 but are on hold due to finance constraints. The next nearest 50m would be at Loughborough Uni, though like Coventrys that isn't Olympic standard 10-lane width.

Here is film from the Media Archive of Central England of the building of Coventry Swimming baths 1965

As Grade II listed I believe the outside cannot be changed but I think the inside can be freely developed. I guess that's more students flats then! Thanks for that link Dean, what a great piece of history!

Here's Binley Park School pool from their old website

Seems odd to replace it with an inferior pool, although aren't there plans for Warwick uni to build an olympic sized pool? Or was that just something mooted a few years back. I believe you can get listed buildings demolished. It comes down to state of the building and maybe whether or not it's got a viable future. I can't see that being used as student flats. In fact, what exactly could you reuse it for? It's not a bad building, but a bit boring looking with blank walls facing the street and it sits in an area that looks like it's never really been developed since the 1950s. Typical sort of disjointed mess that we have all over this city. The Elephant bit is an absolute eyesore. Wouldn't be sad to see it go. Maybe they could fill in the pool and turn it into a music venue!

This isn't really about the building (which I have my own bugbear with - why is the interesting facade (and the main reason for its listing) hidden down a small side street whereas the main street has a blank wall) but the amenity/facility it provides. We hear constantly about attracting certain retailers/businesses to the centre, but in reality its of little or no consequence - by and large every town/city centre is identikit, with the same shops and businesses. Its the layout and leisure facilities that set them apart, and why we as a city far so badly with others. This pool is something we have that nowhere else in the Midlands currently does - that makes it unique, and an attraction for those involved in swimming and provides a springboard (no pun intended) for potential growth in the sports and leisure area, something which this city lacks dreadfully and a large reason for its poor reputation. What kind of Olympic legacy and attempt to improve the health of the nation are we left with when less than two years after the games we're shutting down a major asset in these areas. In this day and age is running a 50m pool so much more expensive than a 25m, given it's the only one in the region? But hey, lets spend a fortune trying to attract John Lewis instead

Telegraph piece about the development includes an interesting photo gallery from when it opened. Agree I don't see the need - why not just develop it?! Like thousands of 70's kids I learnt to swim there. I'm sure I would've preferred what was there before but as current buildings go I think I'd miss Nellie!

In 2006 the council commisioned a report "Coventry Sport and Physical Activity - Facility Strategy" which examined the sports facilities in the city. With regards to provision for swimming the conclusion was "The Sport England Calculator suggests that Coventry's requirements for pools is 3,112 m2. The current provision is 2290.68 m2. It should be noted that however, this model is based on 100% demand for swimming by Coventry's population. PMP's supply and demand models highlights that within a 20 minute drivetime there is an undersupply of 822 m2 of water space. This is equivalent to three 25 x 6m swimming pools. The Authority needs to continue to supply current provision and plan for newprovision." There were 18 pools listed. I don't believe any have been built since, and certainly some have reduced their opening hours.

Especially if the numbskulls made you get changed in the dressing rooms of gyms 2, 3 or 4, rather than gym 1 next door, then parade through the school armed with just your towel to the pool. You must have been there at the same time as me Kimbo if you were lapped by the likes of Moorcroft and Eales.

The University of Warwick has recently announced a £250m capital investment program over the next five years and part of this is supposed to be a new Olympic sized pool

Here's some information on Peter Fergus, Coventry's first channel swimmer in 1960. Edited by TonyS, 9th Mar 2014 7:12 am (Link clarified)

That was interesting Morgana and it brought back memories as Arthur Ayres who is mentioned in the article worked with my dad at Suttons Bakeries and we sometimes used to go and watch him swim across Kingsbury Water Park. I think he was training for the channel swim but could not get sponsorship