The Elephant in Coventry listed status bid fails

The Coventry Centre said there was a strong case for turning the building into a concert venue

A bid to win listed status for a 1970s leisure centre in Coventry has failed.

Known as The Elephant, because of its shape, the city's civic society had lodged the appeal in an attempt to safeguard its future.

Keith Draper, chairman of the Coventry Society, said the group was "disappointed" at the secretary of state's decision.

He said it would put the building at risk, once a new swimming pool was completed.

A £36.7m swimming pool and leisure centre, due to be built on New Union Street, is set to replace The Elephant from the summer of 2019.

Mr Draper said the fact that The Elephant was designed by a team from the city council, rather than a named architect had counted against it.

"Its location near the ring road also appears to have been a negative factor," he said.

The Elephant, completed in 1976, is linked to a 1960s building, which is already Grade II listed.

Many of the older buildings in Coventry were destroyed during World War Two and Mr Draper said it was important to preserve as many of the city's current "landmark" structures as possible.

Despite the ruling from the Department for Culture Media and Sport, he said there was a strong case for retaining The Elephant and possibly reusing it as a concert and conference venue, rather than demolishing it.