A much-loved swimming pool in south Bristol has been added to a list of buildings which are deemed historically important.
Jubilee Pool which is located in the heart of Knowle has been added to Bristol City Council’s Local List of valued buildings.
The inclusion of the sports facility on the list will be welcome news to campaigners who have been fighting to keep the pool open in recent years.
Back in 2017 thousands of residents signed a petition to keep the leisure centre open after the city council announced that it planned to cut its subsidy.
The pool is currently run by contractor Parkwood Leisure on behalf of the authority and had received a subsidy of £62,000 a year.
But in a surprising turn of events following the campaign the council announced that Jubilee Pool would remain open following negotiations with Parkwood Leisure which agreed to continue running the sports facility without the subsidy.
And now the council has included the building on its Local List - effectively giving it greater recognition in the planning process.
The list is made up of buildings that have not already been identified as listed by Historic England or the National Trust. The aim is to preserve their quality, style or historical importance.
According to the most recent edition of Bristol’s Local List - published February 2019 - the panel “quickly agreed that the architectural and social interest, along with the high degree of preservation of the building, warranted its inclusion on the list”.
A total of 28 new buildings have been placed on the register this year which provides extra recognition in the planning process.
Among them are the Purdown BT Tower which is located on a hill in Stoke Park, visible from the M32, and the Brabazon Hangar at Filton.
In relation to the Purdown Tower the panel recognised the “architectural and industrial value of the structure, and its sculptural quality”.
The council said that particular note was made of the communal value of the tower and how it is a popular and well-loved landmark marking the approach into central Bristol from the M32.
This year’s list focused on the important architectural monuments of the Twentieth Century.
Entries were nominated by members of the public and assessed by an independent panel.
Among the buildings now recognised are a number of social housing projects built by the council, including industrial housing in Mina Road, 1930s flats in Eugene Street, and parts of Redcliffe estate.
As well as the Art Deco Central Health Clinic in St Philip’s and Broadmead’s Art Deco Odeon cinema. Four post-war churches also find themselves on the list.
News of the latest additions to the list has been welcomed by the Twentieth Century Society.
Bob Hardcastle, chairman of the c20 West Group, said: "The Twentieth Century Society welcomes Bristol City Council's outstanding work in recognising the importance of iconic 20th century buildings in the city by adding them to their Local List.
“We hope that future generations of Bristolians and others will value and preserve these buildings due to their importance in the ongoing development of the city.”
