We have a potential opportunity to create a new watersports centre on the seafront, next to where Eastney Esplanade meets Henderson Road.
A watersports centre would create a hub for sports like kiteboarding, kitesurfing, rowing, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding. It could include changing facilities, lockers, and showers.
Anything built would need to blend in and help enhance the unique surrounding environment. This ambition was set out in the Seafront Masterplan in 2013 and 2021.
What's happening
Eastney swimming pool, which closed permanently in 2020, has now been demolished. The building was unsafe and could be dangerous, so it was decided earlier in 2025 that it had to be knocked down. You can see photos of the building’s condition.
On 5 September 2025, we put notices around the site to let people know we were applying to the local planning authority as to whether ‘prior approval’ was needed for how the demolition would be done and how the site would be restored. This was covered in the media on 16 September 2025. This demolition itself is allowed under 'permitted development' rights, so it’s not the same as applying for planning permission to build something new.
The 'prior approval' process covers how the demolition will happen and what will be done to restore the site afterwards, not the decision to demolish. The decision to demolish was made at a public meeting in March 2025, and this was widely reported at the time.
As the decision to demolish wasn’t in question, we could go ahead and find a contractor for the job. Prior approval for the demolition method was then granted.
What's next
Now that the demolition has been completed, the site has been levelled and made safe. The Grade II listed WWII pillbox, and the public toilets next to it, have not been demolished and will remain in place.
The council will now use the findings of the consultation we carried out earlier this year to inform where it can apply for funding or what partners we can work with to help bring the plans forward. We'll also explore the possibility of a ‘pop-up’ offer on the site, before any centre is built.
Construction of a new leisure centre and GP surgery, in nearby Bransbury Park, including a swimming pool and learner pool, will begin in early 2026.
Keep up to date by subscribing to our sport and leisure e-bulletin.
Watersports consultation
We held a consultation from 7 April - 9 May 2025. We wanted to know what sports you’d like to see catered for at the site, along with what else we should try and incorporate if the project goes ahead.
It showed strong public support to continue developing plans for a new watersports centre, and only limited interest in refurbishing the former indoor swimming pool.
Over 1,800 people took part in the consultation, which included an online survey and face-to-face engagement across the city. The results show:
- Widespread interest in using the centre: Nearly two-thirds (64%) said they would be ‘very likely’ to use a new watersports centre, with interest consistent across age groups and locations.
- High demand for watersports: Stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking topped the list of preferred activities (62–66%), with interest also shown in open water rowing, kitesurfing, and kiteboarding. There was also interest in providing facilities for wing foiling and windsurfing.
- Environmental and heritage considerations: Most respondents supported sustainable features like solar panels and rainwater harvesting, and 70% wanted the site’s listed features to be a focal point of the scheme. 68% of respondents think it is very important to enhance this area of the seafront given the unique protected habitats nearby.
- Strong support for new facilities: Respondents prioritised changing rooms, storage lockers, indoor showers, and accessible amenities. A café and new public toilets were also highly favoured (73–82%).
- Accessibility matters: Accessible pathways, changing rooms, and trained staff were seen as essential to ensure the centre is inclusive for all.
When asked “What types of sports facilities would you like to see included in the new watersports centre?” only 5% indicated a swimming pool or refurbishment of the existing pool, reinforcing the council’s decision to explore new uses for the site and build a modern facility in nearby Bransbury Park.
View the full set of consultation results on the Your City Your Say website.
Frequently asked questions
Why this location for a watersports centre?
This area of the seafront has become a hotspot for kiteboarding and kitesurfing over the past decade. This led to the city hosting the Formula Kite European Championships in 2023. It would have a different focus to the Andrew Simpson Centre in Langstone Harbour.
Could you keep a swimming pool as part of the centre?
Eastney Swimming Pool had closed permanently. The building was at the end of its life, so it would cost many millions to re-open, and could not realistically be re-purposed. The new facility being built at Bransbury Park, 800 metres away, is the most cost-effective way to provide a new swimming pool for the local community.
Would the centre be sustainable?
The beach is a designated Local Wildlife Site (LWS) and a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). Anything built next to the beach would have to conform to strict guidelines, and we would also like to see features such as solar panels and rainwater harvesting.
Demolition of existing buildings
Eastney pool closed permanently in 2020. Multiple surveys had shown that the 120-year-old building was in very poor condition, with extensive structural issues with the walls and roof, which needed replacing. We could also see that the pool structure was cracked, as it was filling up with groundwater.
The poor condition of the building meant that it presented a significant danger to staff and the public. Following the council's decision taken in March 2025 to move forward with demolition, contractors were then appointed to carry this out.
To renovate the building to make it safe to use for another purpose would have been extremely expensive, not appropriate for a watersports centre, and a poor use of public money. Historic England also declined to list the building on two occasions, as it did not have any special architectural and historic interest that is required for it to be listed. You can see the issues for yourself in the pictures below.
You can also read the full condition PDF report on the Council's democracy website, that led to the decision to demolish the building.
Description of pictures (first to last)
- Failed pool, filled with groundwater.
- Cracked brickwork in the plant room because of structural issues.
- Horizontal cracks resulting from the movement of the roof.
- Extensive cracks in the external brickwork because of structural problems.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't you just re-open the pool?
Eastney Swimming Pool has closed permanently. As a standalone pool it needed considerable subsidy to keep it open, and the building is at the end of its life. It would cost many millions to re-open the existing building.
Even if we did, it would not be able to accommodate a learner pool, modern changing facilities and a gym in the existing building. The gym is essential to the centre operating without a significant annual subsidy. The new facility at Bransbury Park should operate without significant subsidy and is the most cost-effective way to provide a new swimming pool for the local community.
Did the Cockleshell Heroes train here?
The Cockleshell Heroes trained for months around Southsea and Langstone Harbour before setting off in December 1942, using kayaks, to blow up enemy ships in occupied France in Operation Frankton. It is reported that they used the pool for training.
The demolition of the building does not in any way diminish the great respect Portsmouth has for the Cockleshell Heroes. Their sacrifice for our freedom is commemorated with a seafront memorial near where we know they trained for their legendary raid.
Also, an island created as part of sea defence work in Langstone Harbour has recently been named 'Cockleshell Island' to further mark their bravery, alongside blue plaques marking their former headquarters in Spencer Road and Worthing Road in Southsea.
I've seen claims that a new leisure centre at Eastney will be half the cost of one at Bransbury Park. Is this true?
No, and we do not know where this estimate has come from. To build the same building at Eastney would cost the same amount - if not more to account for flood protection.
We do know that refurbishing Eastney Swimming Pool “as-is” would cost up to £8 million. However, even after this investment, the pool would:
- Remain unsuitable for early stages swimming lessons.
- Have significant accessibility issues.
- Be inconvenient for residents, too far from local schools, and poorly served by public transport.
- Still be an aging building with high ongoing maintenance costs and requiring substantial subsidies.
This £8m estimate does not include additional facilities suggested in “alternative proposals” that have been floated online. These added a learner pool, new changing rooms, a GP surgery, an open-air pool and water sports facilities. Any project to provide these additional facilities on site would have to deal with the variable ground levels there, while integrating new buildings with old. It would have to address the poor accessibility of the existing building, its poor energy rating, the fact that the pool tank leaks, and that the building needs a new roof.
It, like Bransbury Park, is also in a flood zone, but the existing building is set considerably lower in the ground. The most cost-effective way of dealing with these issues would be to demolish the existing building and build a whole new facility at a higher ground level. This would cost at least as much as building it at Bransbury Park, and probably more. It would also not fit on the footprint of the site.
This demonstrates that the alternative proposals are uncosted, unfeasible, and unrealistic.
While a new building at Bransbury Park does require significant upfront investment, it offers better value for residents in the long term by offering lower ongoing costs for the Council. This includes reduced need for subsidies as a combined pool and fitness centre, and greater energy efficiency, with a substantial portion of its power generated by solar panels on the roof.