Iconic Portland stone set to be saved from Eastney Swimming Pool which is being demolished
Iconic Portland stone from Eastney Swimming Pool is set to be retained and reused elsewhere along the seafront, the city council has confirmed.
Work has now begun to demolish the pool after it was declared ‘obsolete’, with a new leisure centre instead set to be built at Bransbury Park as a replacement. It follows the pool’s closure during the Covid pandemic, with the Eastney site now earmarked as a site for a water sports centre.
But campaigners who have been fighting to instead refurbish the pool have been asking questions about where some of the historical items from the site are being taken to, with the pool’s main clock among the items of concern.
And now Portsmouth City Council has confirmed that some of the famous limestone would be saved and reused in the city.
A spokesperson confirmed: “We will be retaining some of the original 1904 Portland stone for use elsewhere on the seafront. There is nothing else of interest worth preserving. The clock is not of particular interest; it's a standard product which was bought in 2016.”
Questions were also asked about why a demolition team was on site ahead of an application being approved. But the council explained that the demolition itself was already allowed under ‘permitted development’ rights. Instead it was applying to see whether ‘prior approval’ was needed for how the demolition would be carried out, and how the site would be restored.
“We did in fact receive approval on Wednesday 1 October, so demolition could proceed from that point,” the spokesperson said.
They added that the neighbouring public toilets will not be demolished, refuting suggestions that they would also be removed to make way for the water sports centre.
The council has said that it is keen to progress with its plans for the site, and it is looking to other successful locations for inspiration. It said the centre would create a hub for sports like kiteboarding, kitesurfing, rowing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding, and could include changing facilities, lockers, and showers.
The spokesperson said: “We are keen to bring this site back into use as soon as we can. Later this year, we will begin exploring the possibility of a 'pop-up' offer on the site in the short-term. For the longer-term ambitions for the site, we are looking at other successful water sport centres on the south coast, such as those in Brighton and Littlehampton, as models we could replicate.”
Despite this, campaigners have vowed to continue their fight to save the site, saying some of the demolition works would have been needed as part of a refurbishment. They have also vowed to hold the council to account over the process which led to the decision to build the new leisure centre instead of refurbishing the Eastney site.
Eastney will now follow in the footsteps of other lost swimming pools in the city over the years. This includes Victoria Swimming Baths which was demolished in 2010 as was earmarked for use by the University though the site still remains empty, and the Pyramids in Southsea which has now been repurposed as a play centre.
But the council has said that it is ‘committed to supporting swimming across the city’ with ‘a £47million investment package in sport across Portsmouth’.
They said: “Hilsea Lido is being renovated, and work on a brand-new swimming pool at Bransbury Park will commence in early 2026. The Mountbatten Centre has seen continued investment since the Olympic-sized pool was added in 2009.
“We also work in partnership with the University of Portsmouth, who offer pay as you go swimming sessions for the public at their state-of-the-art Ravelin Sports Centre which opened in 2023. The council also supports free swimming lessons for under 12s.”