May marks four years since the controversial closure of Derby’s Queen’s Leisure Centre and it remains, like a large number of other buildings in the city, empty and unused.
But after DerbyshireLive inquired about the centre, which was originally built and opened as the Queen Street Baths in 1932, the city council says that it is still exploring ways to progress building houses on the site.
The leisure centre in Cathedral Road closed amid a great deal of protest and placard-waving from users in May 2022 – despite the opening of the new multi-million pound Moorways Sports Village at Moor Lane the same month – who wanted to see city centre swimming retained.
Various councils had battled for some years to maintain the roof of the leisure centre, which featured a gala pool, family and teaching pool at its height, with many Derby people learning to swim there.
Queen’s Leisure Centre closed for the last time on May 8, 2022 -Credit:Derby City Council
For some years in the 1960s and 1970s, the gala pool was boarded over in the winter months to allow bands to appear as Derby had no alternative performance venue until the opening of the Assembly Rooms in 1977.
The city council is currently working with developers VINCI Developments UK and ION Developments on developing the Market Place, which includes demolishing the Assembly Rooms, which many people are against happening and think it could be refurbished, and also with Ion Developments on the Queen’s Leisure Centre area known as the Northern Gateway..
The council also intends to demolish the Queen’s Leisure Centre as demonstrated by its action to secure a Certificate of Immunity (COI) for the building in 2024.
This gives the building immunity from being listed and therefore it is able to be demolished – the city council did the same thing with the Assembly Rooms in 2018 and again in 2023, as a COI lasts five years.
Historic England, which is responsible for listing buildings, rejected listing the leisure centre because “the former swimming baths are too altered to merit addition to the list, though they remain of good local interest.
“Though a confident and well-executed design by borough architect Charles H Aslin, the former swimming baths have been subject to considerable alterations to both the exterior and interior which have affected the overall level of survival and the building’s character.”
In 2024, council leader Councillor Nadine Peatfield exclusively told DerbyshireLive that a decision had been taken to demolish the Queen’s Leisure Centre in Derby to more than likely make way for homes.
She said at the time: “The Queen’s Leisure Centre building is not viable to be able to do anything with it and, over the years, it has cost a lot of money to keep it open because of the failing roof.
“Plans are being drawn generally for the whole area around the leisure centre, which is called the Northern Gateway.”
Previously, Cllr Steve Hassall, Conservative opposition group leader on the city council said that he hoped that the council recognised the importance of “preserving the historic elements of the Queen’s Leisure Centre and pledge to do so and also give residents reassurance it will not be lost to another grey box of a building”.
He added: “Clearly, there are newer elements to the overall site that have no real historic value but there are areas and elements we feel must be preserved otherwise this will be yet another part of Derby’s history falling foul to bulldozers.
“Queens will hold a lot of memories for many residents and preserving elements of the existing building that have historical value will, I feel add to any new development.
“We simply cannot be erasing our history and buildings that have both an emotional and a heritage connection to the city.”
Cllr Peatfield has confirmed in the past few days that that the council is still working to draw up plans for the leisure centre area but has not given any details what they are and if they will include any elements of the site’s heritage.
She said: “A COI was issued in November 2024, concluding that the building did not merit listing due to significant past alterations, including its 1960s extension and 1980s refurbishment.
“We are currently working with the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), Homes England, and Ion Developments – our city centre strategic development partner, to explore ways to progress the housing-led regeneration of several city centre sites, including the Northern Gateway.”
DerbyshireLive and Derby Telegraph are running a petition calling for the city council to go back to the drawing board to rethink its plans for the Assembly Rooms and Market Place. The plan is currently on pause until July because the council’s planning control committee asked to be allowed more time to consider the proposals.
If you disagree with the plans for the Assembly Rooms and the Market Place, please consider adding your name to our petition.