"The building is long past its sell-by date": Eastney swimming pool demolition sparks debate over historic site
The decision to demolish Eastney Swimming Pool has again been put under the spotlight with its historic ties put under the spotlight.
Portsmouth City Council (PCC) says the pool is unsafe and beyond repair, with work set to begin on a new £23.4m pool and gym 750m away in Bransbury Park, leading to the decision to demolish it.
Built in 1904 as part of the Royal Marines’ Barracks, Eastney Swimming Pool is known for training the World War II “Cockleshell Heroes,” who famously canoed up the River Gironde in 1942 to attack Nazi ships.
Councillor Lee Tindall criticised the decision to demolish made earlier, saying: “In the last previous years little to no significant maintenance has been carried out, leaving this historic structure in a state of disrepair. This is nothing short of neglect by PCC.”
He called the pool “a local historic landmark” and added: “This pool was part of that remarkable legacy, providing the cockleshell heroes with the physical training they needed to carry out one of the most audacious operations in wartime Britain. It is part of our heritage and the story of those heroes should not be forgotten.”
Councillor Lee Hunt, who approved the demolition, cited Historic England’s view that the pool is “architecturally very modest” compared to similar sites. “We can wax lyrical about this building, but it’s tumbledown and it’s not what it once was,” he said. “It has had its day, it is over and done with.”
Councillor Matthew Winnington argued that the building’s location, not neglect, caused its deterioration. “Anyone building a pool now would never build one on a disused gravel pit – let alone one right next to a massive shingle beach,” he said.
He explained that groundwater filled the pool within a week of draining, adding: “The only way to re-do that is to demolish the entire structure to find out what’s happening underneath.”
Former national swimmer Councillor Simon Bosher said, “I hated the bloody place,” describing its unsuitable size for training. “The building is long past its sell-by date – when I was swimming in it 40-plus years ago, it was probably past its sell-by date then.”
Councillor Steve Pitt pointed to a public survey undertaken in November 2022, stating: “Do you know what percentage of respondents said that they wanted to keep the pool at Eastney? Three percent.” He confirmed, “We have no intentions to sell the site to anybody to develop anything.”
The swimming pool site has now been earmarked by the city council for a new hub for kitesurfing, kiteboarding, open water rowing, kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding.