COVENTRY | Full Summary of Projects

[rottersclub]

ive recently seen that the council are doing some regeneration in canley, but the locals did not like some of the plans as it means they are going to demolish those horrible council homes down.

Is the council trying the move these types of people ,who live in these council properties, out and are trying to better the reputation of this area as its so close to westwood heath and kenilworth road.

I believe the paragon park development between foleshill road and stoney staton road is still going ahead as someone told me (who attends the hindu temple on the site) that the temple will be knocked down and a new one built within the development. They were asked by the developers to come up with some funds so that they can build temple as part of their development.

Most of the people who live on former council estates are fine - it's just a minority that are trouble makers. I feel very sorry for people trapped in these areas surrounded by troublemakers.

Paragon Park looks very interesting.

[Jags]

yea i agree.

Paragon Park looks great, i had a look at the origional plans about 2 years ago at the council house, there was so much that they handed me 2 boxes of stuff. it looked great though, there was a marina in the middle of the development and retail around it with all roads leading to the middle and office space situated next to it and residential on the outsides.

[rottersclub]

yea i agree.

Paragon Park looks great, i had a look at the origional plans about 2 years ago at the council house, there was so much that they handed me 2 boxes of stuff. it looked great though, there was a marina in the middle of the development and retail around it with all roads leading to the middle and office space situated next to it and residential on the outsides.

I wonder how much of that will actually appear - it'd be wonderful for Foleshill.

[Jags]

it would be fantastic for cov generally, it would be like 1500 new good quality homes in a village style environment.

[Jags]

i didnt realise but the two towers being built next to the ramada tower have been given planning permission, one was about 17 floors and the other was about 13 i think. Thats good it means that the 19 storey ramada, 17 storey new tower and the 13 storey next to that, all above a gym with pool.

[rottersclub]

i didnt realise but the two towers being built next to the ramada tower have been given planning permission, one was about 17 floors and the other was about 13 i think. Thats good it means that the 19 storey ramada, 17 storey new tower and the 13 storey next to that, all above a gym with pool.

From what I remember of Butts Aparments, the block on top of the health centre/pool/bar is about the same height as the Ramada. The block facing the road was about 8 floors, I think.

The other Butts development has been referred to CABE. People are complaining that it doesn't fit in with the old college building. I'd argue that the old college building doesn't fit in with area period.

[rottersclub]

Friargate/Park Court - multiple sites, offices, apartments, hotel?, leisure, retail.
Butts Apartments(*) - swimming pool/gym/bar, apartments
Friars Road(*) - Apartments
Victoria Buildings(*) - Apartments/Retail Unit
Belgrade Plaza(*) - apartments, office space, retail, bars, hotels, leisure, casino.
Butts College(*) - Apartments, office space, retail, leisure
Herbert Art Gallery - extenstion
Cov Uni - new building on Cathedral Square.
Bishop Street - offices, apartments, retail
Millennium View - apartments & retail
Swanswell - College, apartments, office space, retail, etc.
Electric Wharf - offices & apartments.
Ironmonger Square - cosmetic changes.

Outside Centre

Paragon Park (Foleshill) - "Urban Village"
Peugot Stoke - Urban village plus Peugot UK HQ.
Warwick Road (Earlsdon) - Apartments + Retail.
Ricoh Arena - Proposed retail & Hotels & other stuff(?)

Those marked (*) have some part of the development over 10 storeys in height.

Anyone others? Any updates?

[rottersclub]

Warwickshire Life magazine (Available in most supermarkets in Cov) has a very positive article about Coventry this month - the writer visits the city's attractions and comments that he'll go back in Summer because he liked it so much and wanted to see more! It also gives a quick summary of redevelopments.

[inspired]

ive heard a rumour that west orchards shopping centre is for sale??:speech:

[Dr Pepper]

I'll buy it for £10.

[Jags]

thats good news! where did you hear that?

The ricoh aena is being bought!

[inspired]

mm cant really say and not sure if it is a reliable source but the figure is £50m+

[Jags]

thats actually alot less than i thought it would be worth, but then again it is a dump.

[inspired]

well it might be all hear-say and sily rumours...dont get ur hopes up :blahblah:

[Jags]

oh dont say that i was hoping it was going to get demolished,lol

But i did find this, which i thought was quite interesting, it also had a picture of what the back of millenium view will look like facing palmer lane, but ill post it later with all the other pics that iv got of all the development.

Press Release Information
14th December 2006
DBK Back appointed to last phase of Coventry’s Phoenix Initiative
DBK Back has been appointed as cost consultant on Richardson Cordwell’s Millennium View
project in Coventry city centre.
Situated next to the Transport Museum, and bounded by Hales Street, Palmer Lane and the
city’s new landmark square - Millennium Place - the mixed-use scheme is proposed to
comprise 55 apartments over six storeys, car parking for 50 cars, and 17,000 sq ft of shops
and café bars on the ground floor. The project represents the last phase of Coventry’s
extensive Phoenix Initiative, which has brought an array of urban development schemes and
new public space of an international quality to the city’s heart.
DBK Back is currently undertaking pre-planning duties before Warwick-based architects SMC
Corstorphine & Wright submit a planning application. Subject to approval, DBK Back expects
to be in a position to let the build contract in spring 2007.
DBK Back director Stuart Dean comments: “Millennium View is a tight site that requires a
design-led approach to maximise the commercial value of this prime development
opportunity, whilst fittingly completing the last piece of the jigsaw for Coventry’s acclaimed
Phoenix Initiative.
“Richardson Cordwell’s proposals combines first rate architecture with a high-density
approach to a residential-led, inner city mixed-use scheme, and we are delighted to be
playing a key role within the project team.”
Richardson Cordwell was selected as preferred developer by Coventry City Council, having
been one of three companies to submit full development proposals for the Millennium View
site.
With offices in London, Manchester, Ipswich and Birmingham, DBK Back is one of the UK’s
fastest growing owner-managed project management and cost consultancies. The company
also offers a comprehensive range of valuation and development appraisal activity.
DBK Back has secured new business with a total construction value well in excess of
£200million over the past 12 months, and its 80-strong team is currently working on 87 live
projects with a total construction value in excess of £600million.

[Dr Pepper]

Blimey, that looks about 10 storeys tall to me. The link to the PDF is here:

www.dbkback.co.uk/press/pdfs/DBK_14Dec06.pdf

[Dr Pepper]

Blimey, that looks about 10 storeys tall to me. The link to the PDF is here:

www.dbkback.co.uk/press/pdfs/DBK_14Dec06.pdf

[inspired]

thats good news! where did you hear that?

The ricoh aena is being bought!

good news that if it does get sold the council want to owners to help develop and regenerate that area as part of the terms of the sale

[inspired]

Blimey, that looks about 10 storeys tall to me. The link to the PDF is here:

www.dbkback.co.uk/press/pdfs/DBK_14Dec06.pdf

wow, that illustration does look very good

[rottersclub]

Indeed. Two floors of what appear to be retail/Leisure followed by at least 9 floors of apartments and car parking. A good landmark building for that spot, which should finally make it seem like a proper square. Shame about the buses and vandalism. Will fit in very well with the fire station. I just wish they could make the street "out" of the city centre into something.

What with Bishop Street, Belgrade Plaza, and then Ikea, the whole run from Cathedral -> Ikea could be an impressive mix of apartments, offices, shops and bars. A big "City Street" that Coventry sorely lacks. If West Orchards is redeveloped so it reaches Corporation Street, then this could be a new focus for the city centre. If this is done well, it could make Coventry feel like a proper city rather than a glorified precinct surrounded by car parks.

I also think they should commission a piece of art based around the "City Wall" and build a small visitor's centre attached to the motor museum showing what the city was like when the wall was there, and also showing it over the years - there are plenty of exhibits and it'd be something that people who are interested in medieval towns would find interesting. I think the two gates are an interesting and unusual assett for an industrial town in the UK, and a reminder of Coventry's role as one of England's most powerful cities.
I like the bridge over the wall, but I always thought they should have built a "invisible hanging bridge" that allowed people to walk the stretch of wall between the two towers.

There's actually chunks of the city wall dotted around the Northern part of the city centre. No huge amounts, but enough to make some sort of "walk" and also a sort of "feature" for redevelopment. As Cov doesn't have any rivers big enough to make features, it should use its medieval heritage as much as possible - something Donald Gibson planned into the rebuilding, but something that's never happened.

[Jags]

sorri i should have put the link in, but i looks good doesnt it. i with the front looked like that, rather than what it will look like.

[Dr Pepper]

What with Bishop Street, Belgrade Plaza, and then Ikea, the whole run from Cathedral -> Ikea could be an impressive mix of apartments, offices, shops and bars. A big "City Street" that Coventry sorely lacks. If West Orchards is redeveloped so it reaches Corporation Street, then this could be a new focus for the city centre. If this is done well, it could make Coventry feel like a proper city rather than a glorified precinct surrounded by car parks.



West Orchards or its successor should also be given street frontage that replaces the post war buildings on the west side of the Burges (same side as the old Argos - still empty). There could also be a raised footbridge link between it and the Primark store.

While we are at it how about another extention/rebuild covering Smithford Way under the canopy redeveloping the shopping space the other side. The pedestrian space could be maintained giving the extended/rebuilt shopping centre a 'T' shaped arcade.

[Dr Pepper]

Still haven't got the hang of quoting.

Any better?

[Dr Pepper]

Still haven't got the hang of quoting.

[Dr Pepper]

Think I've got the hang of it now.

[rottersclub]

What with Bishop Street, Belgrade Plaza, and then Ikea, the whole run from Cathedral -> Ikea could be an impressive mix of apartments, offices, shops and bars. A big "City Street" that Coventry sorely lacks. If West Orchards is redeveloped so it reaches Corporation Street, then this could be a new focus for the city centre. If this is done well, it could make Coventry feel like a proper city rather than a glorified precinct surrounded by car parks.



West Orchards or its successor should also be given street frontage that replaces the post war buildings on the west side of the Burges (same side as the old Argos - still empty). There could also be a raised footbridge link between it and the Primark store.

While we are at it how about another extention/rebuild covering Smithford Way under the canopy redeveloping the shopping space the other side. The pedestrian space could be maintained giving the extended/rebuilt shopping centre a 'T' shaped arcade.

There certainly is plenty of scope for redevelopment around there, and the land for it. But there appears to be no money!

[Jags]

its like a vicious circle, there are no jobs in the city centre, so no retailer will open, no office jobs will be created in the city unless there is good retail provision. Unless they create an office complex that incorporates a great retail centre there really is no chance.

[rottersclub]

its like a vicious circle, there are no jobs in the city centre, so no retailer will open, no office jobs will be created in the city unless there is good retail provision. Unless they create an office complex that incorporates a great retail centre there really is no chance.

Friargate is very exciting - I believe this will really be a big boost for Coventry. More jobs, new influx of population, and opportunities to create a city centre park based around Greyfriar's Green - this could be very good indeed.

http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_headline=15%2D000-jobs-for-city%26method=full%26objectid=18717184%26page=1%26siteid=50003-name_page.html

[inspired]

Friargate is very exciting - I believe this will really be a big boost for Coventry. More jobs, new influx of population, and opportunities to create a city centre park based around Greyfriar's Green - this could be very good indeed.

http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_headline=15%2D000-jobs-for-city%26method=full%26objectid=18717184%26page=1%26siteid=50003-name_page.html

yes ive read the article, looking forward to next week -

Plans are about to be submitted for the first phase of the project - a 150,000 sq ft office building - and a full masterplan will be formally unveiled next week.


i also noticed this in the article as well and would be the icing of the cake if they can get this through

* Negotiations are ongoing with Network Rail in a bid to include the station itself in the regeneration plans and give Coventry a sparkling new first impression to visitors.

[Scazmattaz]

yes ive read the article, looking forward to next week -



i also noticed this in the article as well and would be the icing of the cake if they can get this through

I guess the latter all depends on how much of the station is Grade 2 listed, cos i think most of it is.

The vacant BW! unti in Broadgate has had a lot of work going on inside it, and says 'New Retailer to Coventry' on the windows. I have no idea whether that'd be a clothing retailer (pretty much the only type who seem to be expanding) or something like a Costa or Starbucks at the mo. It wont be a tatty shop as its one of the prime-est locations in the city centre.

Anyone want to speculate or suggest what it could be?

[inspired]

I guess the latter all depends on how much of the station is Grade 2 listed, cos i think most of it is.

The vacant BW! unti in Broadgate has had a lot of work going on inside it, and says 'New Retailer to Coventry' on the windows. I have no idea whether that'd be a clothing retailer (pretty much the only type who seem to be expanding) or something like a Costa or Starbucks at the mo. It wont be a tatty shop as its one of the prime-est locations in the city centre.

Anyone want to speculate or suggest what it could be?

whats BW?

[Jags]

BW is book world, a discount book store.

In the telegraph it says that they havnt even got an occupier yet, not even CV1 knows. It may just be the owners of the unit fitting it out for future occupation.

[Scazmattaz]

We do need many more office jobs in the city centre, we have half the number of any city roughly our size in the country; mainly due to the buisness parks. Coventry seems to have more of these than any other city our size also!!! Also the retail parks are just spiralling out of control, i hope they dont allow them to expand any further.

Problem with office jobs is you need major office-space schemes which tend to be led by major investment companies. The developments in the city have only really been residential and many by 'local' builders; with the intention of getting a quick return on their development. Hopefully the fact that Coventry has a comparatively HUGE potential compared to other cities of a similar size and a HUGE representation at the MIPIM event in France this year will mean that major investors such as Land Securities, Abstract Land etc etc and investment groups will see it as an untapped resource with a great potential for the future.

The city also needs to get away from this inbuilt expectation that office space needs 100s of car parking spaces. We need to densify the core areas to challenge this interpretation.

[Scazmattaz]

BW is book world, a discount book store.

In the telegraph it says that they havnt even got an occupier yet, not even CV1 knows. It may just be the owners of the unit fitting it out for future occupation.

The owners are the council/CVOne so they wont be interested in fitting it out. CVOne said that they couldn't reveal who was moving in, not that no-one was. They are def in advanced talks with someone.

[Scazmattaz]

Blimey, that looks about 10 storeys tall to me. The link to the PDF is here:

www.dbkback.co.uk/press/pdfs/DBK_14Dec06.pdf

Wow that looks amazing! Thats gonna be a great addition to the skyline and hopefully you'll be able to see it from the other side of town! :banana:

[Scazmattaz]

If West Orchards is for sale then that'll fuel speculation there are some major development plans for it; which will be sold with the centre as part of improving the return.

I hope we hear something later this year involving the scheme expanding through Allied Carpets (of which closure is imminent) and What Everyone Wants LOL, cos its a bit of a dead zone and a complete 60s mess around there. They def need to sort it out and narrow down the roadways to encourage pedestrian activities, i say more bus gates!! :)

[rottersclub]

I guess the latter all depends on how much of the station is Grade 2 listed, cos i think most of it is.

The vacant BW! unti in Broadgate has had a lot of work going on inside it, and says 'New Retailer to Coventry' on the windows. I have no idea whether that'd be a clothing retailer (pretty much the only type who seem to be expanding) or something like a Costa or Starbucks at the mo. It wont be a tatty shop as its one of the prime-est locations in the city centre.

Anyone want to speculate or suggest what it could be?

Fopp, if we're lucky! [I doubt this]

Prob. something to do with clothes... Prob. a cheap store.

[rottersclub]

We do need many more office jobs in the city centre, we have half the number of any city roughly our size in the country; mainly due to the buisness parks. Coventry seems to have more of these than any other city our size also!!! Also the retail parks are just spiralling out of control, i hope they dont allow them to expand any further.

Problem with office jobs is you need major office-space schemes which tend to be led by major investment companies. The developments in the city have only really been residential and many by 'local' builders; with the intention of getting a quick return on their development. Hopefully the fact that Coventry has a comparatively HUGE potential compared to other cities of a similar size and a HUGE representation at the MIPIM event in France this year will mean that major investors such as Land Securities, Abstract Land etc etc and investment groups will see it as an untapped resource with a great potential for the future.

The city also needs to get away from this inbuilt expectation that office space needs 100s of car parking spaces. We need to densify the core areas to challenge this interpretation.


Coventry was zoned after the war, and the zoning was aimed at industrial use in the suburbs - now office developments/retail parks. The city centre was zoned into areas - civic centre, shopping, cathedral and a supposed "entertainment" area around the Belgrade theatre/Corporation Street. None of this ever happened and when the economy of the city collapsed in the 1970s, the whole place pretty much stagnated - until now.

They even halved the amount of shops, as they didn't think people would shop in Coventry.

Build a Coventry Gherkin!

[Scazmattaz]

Fopp, if we're lucky! [I doubt this]

Prob. something to do with clothes... Prob. a cheap store.

Im holding my hopes out for something thats okay, i doubt it'll be a cheap store but to be honest the high-street in general seems to be becoming very cheap or more exclusive. Nothing is happening in the middle ground.

[rottersclub]

Im holding my hopes out for something thats okay, i doubt it'll be a cheap store but to be honest the high-street in general seems to be becoming very cheap or more exclusive. Nothing is happening in the middle ground.

The Telegraph says there are rumours it's a "coffee shop", which means Starbucks/Costa/etc.

I have my own gaggia coffee machine and a supply of Illy Cafe!

[Scazmattaz]

The Telegraph says there are rumours it's a "coffee shop", which means Starbucks/Costa/etc.

I have my own gaggia coffee machine and a supply of Illy Cafe!

Yeah either of them would be great, but cos the footfall on that corner is sooooo high i doubt they could have an outside drinking area which is kinda required with a coffee shop!!

[Jags]

Yeah either of them would be great, but cos the footfall on that corner is sooooo high i doubt they could have an outside drinking area which is kinda required with a coffee shop!!

not many starbucks have outside seating areas, but hopefully it will become on as the city needs it, but i dont think they would open up there because the environment is horrible, its dark and dingy

[Dr Pepper]

not many starbucks have outside seating areas, but hopefully it will become on as the city needs it, but i dont think they would open up there because the environment is horrible, its dark and dingy


There is a huge (for Coventry) footfall there, they would pick up a huge amount of passing trade.

[Dr Pepper]

If West Orchards is for sale then that'll fuel speculation there are some major development plans for it; which will be sold with the centre as part of improving the return.

I hope we hear something later this year involving the scheme expanding through Allied Carpets (of which closure is imminent) and What Everyone Wants LOL, cos its a bit of a dead zone and a complete 60s mess around there. They def need to sort it out and narrow down the roadways to encourage pedestrian activities, i say more bus gates!! :)


Apparently what everybody wanted was an empty shop....

[sleslie48]

Apparently what everybody wanted was an empty shop....

lol.

I hope it is a coffee shop, the city really needs some. Especially in that area, be good if some eateries, bars, restaurants, even a small hotel/guest house could encroach into the precinct, needs some diverstiy. Doubt this will happen with the current buidlings tho.

[inspired]

http://images.icnetwork.co.uk/upl/iccoventry/mar2007/9/4/2C1E401E-CBA8-97E8-2673A6402714E0E6.jpg

image of the new college from the cet last night

live feed from webcams from the site...this is so cool
http://www.covcollege.ac.uk/home/camera.php:cheers:

[Scazmattaz]

You wanna see building 3! This scheme is going to give the area a characture and style and is soooo large its a bit like Brindley Place!! The height of the buildings is going to dominate the local area and create a sense of scale. If we get a scheme for the old hospital site this area will be buzzing!

[rottersclub]

You wanna see building 3! This scheme is going to give the area a characture and style and is soooo large its a bit like Brindley Place!! The height of the buildings is going to dominate the local area and create a sense of scale. If we get a scheme for the old hospital site this area will be buzzing!

Really? What's building 3? More of the college? How high?

In the 1950s they planned a couple of 32 storey buildings in Swanswell,.

[Scazmattaz]

Really? What's building 3? More of the college? How high?

In the 1950s they planned a couple of 32 storey buildings in Swanswell,.

Its the same sort of building but with 3 of them in a row it'll really create an 'area'; and then 2 more buildings will be built behind phases 2 and 3 - with the multi-storey going behind phase 1 aswell, So the area is going to have 6 large-format buildings. This can only be a good thing and create a new 'quarter'.

[rottersclub]

Its the same sort of building but with 3 of them in a row it'll really create an 'area'; and then 2 more buildings will be built behind phases 2 and 3 - with the multi-storey going behind phase 1 aswell, So the area is going to have 6 large-format buildings. This can only be a good thing and create a new 'quarter'.

Sounds good. Is it all college buildings? Or will there be other stuff down there. The original "master plan" had offices, apartments, etc, down in that area.

[rottersclub]

Its the same sort of building but with 3 of them in a row it'll really create an 'area'; and then 2 more buildings will be built behind phases 2 and 3 - with the multi-storey going behind phase 1 aswell, So the area is going to have 6 large-format buildings. This can only be a good thing and create a new 'quarter'.

Is this it (The video of Phase two also shows later phases)

http://www.covcollege.ac.uk/swanswell/downloads/index.html

[Dr Pepper]

Are there any renders of the proposed new buildings at the Butts available?

[rottersclub]

Website:

http://www.friargatecoventry.co.uk/

Interesting. It's very interesting to see the "Coventry and Warwickshire" theme being pursued again.

[Scazmattaz]

This is looking really quite impressive. I also have to note that Cannon Kirk say Coventry has one of the shortest average journey times to work (presumably by car) due to its Ring Road which is 'the most efficient ring road in the country'!! Here here, finally someone has recognised how much of an asset it is, and 10 minutes for a city is incredible. I challenge any other city in the country to beat that, or even large town!

[rottersclub]

Coventry make easyJet inflight magazine!

http://easyjetinflight.com/features/2007/mar/property.html

[sleslie48]

wow thats an impressive list it's got into there!

[rottersclub]

Telegraph reports that Swanswell is not going to have the lowered ringroad option - due to costs and 4 years of traffic problems.

Short termism. This means no land freed up (They are looking at removing ONE of the sliproads to build a coach station) and the place will remain filled with awkward and unusable pieces of land and will never had a decent street pattern. In other words, it's going to be the same old dump it's always been.

Even worse they are planning a coach park there, when it's clearly the wrong place for one, in the same way pool meadow is the wrong place for the bus station.

I don't see how Swanswell can be anything but a waste of time now - surely with the ringroad there's no land to build on, and the land available is going to be filled with dreadfully cheap looking apartments.

In the long term, the removal of the flyovers to a surface level road was the best thing for Coventry - now the oppurtunity has gone, and I imagine we'll see zero interest in investment in that area now.

[Scazmattaz]

Telegraph reports that Swanswell is not going to have the lowered ringroad option - due to costs and 4 years of traffic problems.

Short termism. This means no land freed up (They are looking at removing ONE of the sliproads to build a coach station) and the place will remain filled with awkward and unusable pieces of land and will never had a decent street pattern. In other words, it's going to be the same old dump it's always been.

Even worse they are planning a coach park there, when it's clearly the wrong place for one, in the same way pool meadow is the wrong place for the bus station.

I don't see how Swanswell can be anything but a waste of time now - surely with the ringroad there's no land to build on, and the land available is going to be filled with dreadfully cheap looking apartments.

In the long term, the removal of the flyovers to a surface level road was the best thing for Coventry - now the oppurtunity has gone, and I imagine we'll see zero interest in investment in that area now.

Yeah we really need to get some developers interested in redeveloping more areas of the core city centre with offices / hotels and active frontages and drive demand for high-quality apartments. The only ones i can think of that id like to live in are at Parkside on the Techopark, which is a fair way out of the city centre i guess.

[rottersclub]

Yeah we really need to get some developers interested in redeveloping more areas of the core city centre with offices / hotels and active frontages and drive demand for high-quality apartments. The only ones i can think of that id like to live in are at Parkside on the Techopark, which is a fair way out of the city centre i guess.

Parkside has terrible access to the city centre as well - through the subways that people don't tend to use. It's also a dreadful area with absolutely nothing there and a horrible mix of units stuck in big parks... No character, no atmosphere. They can't even let out the old swallow factory - who'd want to open up anything there? It's got loads of car traffic, but nowhere to park, and no footfall.

I still think the ringroad is going to stall development of Cov City centre. Friargate may show an interesting way of getting over it that could be replicated elsewhere, but Junction One is just a mess - it takes up a lot of space with its flyovers and makes the area impossible to redevelop.

I have a friend who's an architect, and he says Coventry ringroad is a disaster for the city and that they need to just have the guts to close bits of it down and lower it.

The only other thing they could do is try to develop around it, but as they state in the development plan, the land around the ringroad has proven difficult to develop - hence the grim cheap shacks and stuff all round it. Guts. They just need to sweep the lot away. It's like something from the third world.

[inspired]

does any body know when paragon park is due to start?

It think it has secured outline planning permission for the 53 acre brownfield site in 2005

[rottersclub]

does any body know when paragon park is due to start?

It think it has secured outline planning permission for the 53 acre brownfield site in 2005

I think developers are "cautious" with Coventry - they certainly don't seem to hurrying with a lot of these developments, although it has to be said, they are fairly large developments.

[rottersclub]

Looks like Coventry & Rugby are both going to be losing a lot of greenbelt under proposals for new housing... (This is mentioned in an article on the front page of the Guardian today.)

[rottersclub]

does any body know when paragon park is due to start?

It think it has secured outline planning permission for the 53 acre brownfield site in 2005

I think they got outline planning permission last year - the original application was called in by the government due to its size.

[di Livio]

Has anyone else seen the Terry Farrell masterplan for the area surrounding the rail station? It's chock full of glass blocks and will replace rail commuters views of the retail park as you come in from the north.

[Scazmattaz]

Looks like Coventry & Rugby are both going to be losing a lot of greenbelt under proposals for new housing... (This is mentioned in an article on the front page of the Guardian today.)

Good. The city has barely expanded outwards since the 40/50s in some places, and 60s/70s in others so its about time the physical size was increased!!

Doesn't Halfords in Foleshill just look terrible, was up there earlier and the car park is littered with junk, the interior is just as bad!

[Scazmattaz]

Now that the Junction 2 plans are public i can reveal that it would involve the removal of ALL the slip roads and creation of a feature 'bridge' for the Ring Road over a re-aligned White Street from the fire station to the bus depot. This will mean we have a street scene like Gosford Street where the ring road goes over, however it will be 4 lanes narrower than that example and less intrusive.

We'll finally get a street back! The coach park will be built on the city side, while the other area of land on Hillfields side which is created is likely to be a landmark building for flats / maybe a hotel.

[rottersclub]

Good. The city has barely expanded outwards since the 40/50s in some places, and 60s/70s in others so its about time the physical size was increased!!

Doesn't Halfords in Foleshill just look terrible, was up there earlier and the car park is littered with junk, the interior is just as bad!

Foleshill road is an absolute dump. So is Stoney Stanton Road. I had the misfortune to drive around that area this weekend. Thoroughly depressing. It made me realise how lucky I am to be living in Earlsdon.

[rottersclub]

Has anyone else seen the Terry Farrell masterplan for the area surrounding the rail station? It's chock full of glass blocks and will replace rail commuters views of the retail park as you come in from the north.

Have you got a link? I've see the "block" model, but nothing else. Is there a more detailed plan?

[rottersclub]

Now that the Junction 2 plans are public i can reveal that it would involve the removal of ALL the slip roads and creation of a feature 'bridge' for the Ring Road over a re-aligned White Street from the fire station to the bus depot. This will mean we have a street scene like Gosford Street where the ring road goes over, however it will be 4 lanes narrower than that example and less intrusive.

We'll finally get a street back! The coach park will be built on the city side, while the other area of land on Hillfields side which is created is likely to be a landmark building for flats / maybe a hotel.

Better than nothing, but still a cheap solution and still means huge chunks of land that are going to be difficult to redevelop.

Gosford Street is a mess... A real mess. Nothing matches, and there're huge gaps in it - they've allowed it to become filled with cheap tat over the years... Not a good "entrance" for the city.

[Dr Pepper]

Ring road plans go into reverse

Mar 12 2007

by Fiona Scott, political editor

COVENTRY City Council is about to do a U-turn on ambitious plans to lower the ring road to free up land as part of the development around the Swanswell area.
The idea is being put on ice because it would cost £25million and could lead to four years of traffic jams around the city centre.
So the drive to radically alter the ring road is being put into reverse as councillors dust down a previously abandoned alternative.
They are going to study the effects of removing the slip roads which snake down from junction two to White Street and Hales Street.
Councillors hope a new coach park could be built behind Pool Meadow bus station on land freed up by removing the slip roads.

It will also be considerably cheaper than lowering the elevated ring road - costing about £10 million.
Cabinet member for regeneration Dave Arrowsmith said: "Our preferred option is to knock the slip roads out at junction two and leave the elevated section in place.
"We need to do some work around that - we've only estimated the cost and time. Things may crop up that make it unfeasible."
Studies have shown that it is likely lowering the ring road would take more than four years and create "unacceptable" traffic jams for all that time.
Cllr Arrowsmith said many people using coaches had lobbied the council for better facilities.
Many firms used to use White Street coach park, which is now a car park.
Now some, including Flightlink and National Express, use Pool Meadow while others, including Harry Shaw, drop off and pick up in Fairfax Street and Broadgate.
Cllr Arrowsmith said the coach park idea was at early stage and the council had not yet approached Centro, which runs Pool Meadow.
He said: "Whether a coach park would be an extension of Pool Meadow, or an independent dedicated coach facility remains to be decided."
In the meantime, the council is consulting coach companies about temporary parking bays in Fairfax Street.



You can almost imagine Dave Arrowsmith talking above through gritted teeth. Interesting he mentions possibly cost rises for this option. Perhaps if it goes up enough a proper demolition job wouldn't cost much more......

Of course the piece of straw I'm clutching is rather small.

Otherwise this is a STUPENDOUSLY SHORTSIGHTED decision that will be regretted for many years to come. £25m spent over 4 years is peanuts compared to the longer term advantages of rising land values, improved environment and benefits to Hillfields etc. I wonder what influence the College could have on this?

This option is for the benefit of a Conservative council desperate to please the greay vote and car lobbies and so cling on to power. They did the same thing with the bus station.

Many of the problems highlighted in the draft proposals for the Swanswell Initiative that were supposed to be addressed will remain. This is SO frustrating. What a wasted opportunity.

Rant over.

[rottersclub]

Ring road plans go into reverse

Mar 12 2007

by Fiona Scott, political editor

COVENTRY City Council is about to do a U-turn on ambitious plans to lower the ring road to free up land as part of the development around the Swanswell area.
The idea is being put on ice because it would cost £25million and could lead to four years of traffic jams around the city centre.
So the drive to radically alter the ring road is being put into reverse as councillors dust down a previously abandoned alternative.
They are going to study the effects of removing the slip roads which snake down from junction two to White Street and Hales Street.
Councillors hope a new coach park could be built behind Pool Meadow bus station on land freed up by removing the slip roads.

It will also be considerably cheaper than lowering the elevated ring road - costing about £10 million.
Cabinet member for regeneration Dave Arrowsmith said: "Our preferred option is to knock the slip roads out at junction two and leave the elevated section in place.
"We need to do some work around that - we've only estimated the cost and time. Things may crop up that make it unfeasible."
Studies have shown that it is likely lowering the ring road would take more than four years and create "unacceptable" traffic jams for all that time.
Cllr Arrowsmith said many people using coaches had lobbied the council for better facilities.
Many firms used to use White Street coach park, which is now a car park.
Now some, including Flightlink and National Express, use Pool Meadow while others, including Harry Shaw, drop off and pick up in Fairfax Street and Broadgate.
Cllr Arrowsmith said the coach park idea was at early stage and the council had not yet approached Centro, which runs Pool Meadow.
He said: "Whether a coach park would be an extension of Pool Meadow, or an independent dedicated coach facility remains to be decided."
In the meantime, the council is consulting coach companies about temporary parking bays in Fairfax Street.



You can almost imagine Dave Arrowsmith talking above through gritted teeth. Interesting he mentions possibly cost rises for this option. Perhaps if it goes up enough a proper demolition job wouldn't cost much more......

Of course the piece of straw I'm clutching is rather small.

Otherwise this is a STUPENDOUSLY SHORTSIGHTED decision that will be regretted for many years to come. £25m spent over 4 years is peanuts compared to the longer term advantages of rising land values, improved environment and benefits to Hillfields etc. I wonder what influence the College could have on this?

This option is for the benefit of a Conservative council desperate to please the greay vote and car lobbies and so cling on to power. They did the same thing with the bus station.

Many of the problems highlighted in the draft proposals for the Swanswell Initiative that were supposed to be addressed will remain. This is SO frustrating. What a wasted opportunity.

Rant over.

I agree. Very shortsighted, and the Tory council are OBSESSED with that bus station and coach station.

Then again, every week at least one person writes into the Telegraph complaining about toilet facilities at the bus station. If I get old and start getting obsessed with toilets in crappy bus stations, I'll top myself.

[Dr Pepper]

Is it me or is M T Hancock of Wyken and the ET letters editor one and the same person? Every time I open the ET he has a letter in there complaining about some new development changing Coventry whilst also complaining about the way things are.

[rottersclub]

Is it me or is M T Hancock of Wyken and the ET letters editor one and the same person? Every time I open the ET he has a letter in there complaining about some new development changing Coventry whilst also complaining about the way things are.

That's the one. Pathetic... One minute he's writing in saying the shops are great, the next he's complaining that he can't get a coffee. I've never struggled to get a coffee in Cov! There are loads of pubs and bars that do coffee.

My problem is opposite. Coventry isn't changing enough.

[sleslie48]

AH this is ridiculous! Just when u think something goods going to happen, or that people who shud know better have actually seen sense, they do the stupidist thing posible! AHHHHHHHHH

I think the time has come for us to take matters into our own hands........

Everyone grab a sledge hammer and safety helmet, infact screw the helmet Ill die trying!

[rottersclub]

AH this is ridiculous! Just when u think something goods going to happen, or that people who shud know better have actually seen sense, they do the stupidist thing posible! AHHHHHHHHH

I think the time has come for us to take matters into our own hands........

Everyone grab a sledge hammer and safety helmet, infact screw the helmet Ill die trying!

Exactly, this is why I always treat Cov proposals with a pinch of salt... A lot of waffle, and then zilch. I'm half expecting all the other developments to get scaled back, including Friargate.

I notice even Swansea is getting in on the tower game - 28 storey effort.

I'm just sceptical really.

[Scazmattaz]

Right i am quite fed up of this...

The Spon Street traders want the bus gate on corporation street between Spon Street and Lower Precinct to be removed. Over the Christmas when it was removed temporarily they say trade went up, however did anyone notice that that whole side of the city was a smog-filled traffic jam?!??!?!!? The whole city centre from junction 1 round to junction 6 was grid-locked, and apparently this was a good thing for trading - I STRONGLY DISPUTE THAT. Plus IT WAS CHRISTMAS! OF COURSE TRADE WAS GOING TO BE UP idiots.

If they remove that bus gate the who frikking city centre is gonna be a smog-filled nightmare, people wont use the ringroad and will just clog up burges, corporation street, warwick road, radford road, the butts, its non-sensical!!!

ARGH!!!!!

[rottersclub]

Right i am quite fed up of this...

The Spon Street traders want the bus gate on corporation street between Spon Street and Lower Precinct to be removed. Over the Christmas when it was removed temporarily they say trade went up, however did anyone notice that that whole side of the city was a smog-filled traffic jam?!??!?!!? The whole city centre from junction 1 round to junction 6 was grid-locked, and apparently this was a good thing for trading - I STRONGLY DISPUTE THAT. Plus IT WAS CHRISTMAS! OF COURSE TRADE WAS GOING TO BE UP idiots.

If they remove that bus gate the who frikking city centre is gonna be a smog-filled nightmare, people wont use the ringroad and will just clog up burges, corporation street, warwick road, radford road, the butts, its non-sensical!!!

ARGH!!!!!

Spon Street's a dump - why would anyone shop there? It looks horrible, despite the old buildings, and has absolutely no atmosphere.

I actually think Coventry was better when you could drive around the inner roads. There were far more shops - since they closed it off to traffic in the 1990s, Corporation Street just died... It's a pretty dreary area. I don't recall it being overly busy, although Broadgate was jammed up sometimes.

I didn't detect any "smog" around Spon Street at Xmas - then again, the stench of grease from the grubby fast food takeaways probably hid it. I don't like that part of the town. I think it's a mess - and I wish they'd demolished the "TK Maxx" building. It's just a big grey wall. And all that tatty looking metal piping and patterned paving just doesn't make it look any better.

By the way, this evening on the way home from work the Earlsdon and A45 exits of the ringroad were heavily clogged up... Traffic queueing right around the ringroad to get onto them on both sides. They are like this most nights. This Ikea is without doubt going to cause utter chaos, as is Friargate. Warwick Road was jammed up as well... I sonder if they are going to realise that funneling traffic into a small inner ringroad is going to cause problems elsewhere.

[rottersclub]

What's happening with Sprint? Has it been canned? Last thing I heard it was given funding... Scazzmattaz?

[Scazmattaz]

£1.5BN Scheme for Coventry being unveiled on Midlands Today at 6.30 tomorrow, everyone has to watch it! Might just be Friarsgate but as i've said elsewhere it seems a lot more money than Friargates Cannon Kirk have ever mentioned! I wont be able to sleep tonight thinking about this!!!

[Scazmattaz]

Sprint, still under discussion. Problems with resources and the consultancy who were designing it, even though they are one of the top in the UK!! Not gonna look good for them nationally!!!!

All seems okay and go at the moment though. I hope we get it. We need schemes like these to show the rest of the world we are seriousm about regenerating the city like we have shown the UK with PrimeLines!! As i always say... the only way is UP, BABY!

[rottersclub]

Sprint, still under discussion. Problems with resources and the consultancy who were designing it, even though they are one of the top in the UK!! Not gonna look good for them nationally!!!!

All seems okay and go at the moment though. I hope we get it. We need schemes like these to show the rest of the world we are seriousm about regenerating the city like we have shown the UK with PrimeLines!! As i always say... the only way is UP, BABY!

PrimeLines? What's that?

If they can get sprint up and running and link it to the Airport, Ansty & Binley as well (As it mentions as future development on their website), it should be pretty good. I'd use it if I could get to work fast and comfortably. I hate driving around this bleeping city.

[Scazmattaz]

PrimeLines? What's that?

If they can get sprint up and running and link it to the Airport, Ansty & Binley as well (As it mentions as future development on their website), it should be pretty good. I'd use it if I could get to work fast and comfortably. I hate driving around this bleeping city.

PrimeLines is tghe bus showcase scheme of 6 major corridors - if you've seen all the new bus shelters and stuff going on - it is infact the pioneer in the country and is now used as a casestudy by pretty much every major city and town in the country. It has got us national status. The scheme is yet to get to Earlsden but will be there in next few months, you'll probs get a Newsletter about it through your door. Major plans for a certain junction in that area and the rest of it is pretty much just new bus stops and shelters ready for real time information. I think its still the biggest scheme of its type outside of London.

[rottersclub]

PrimeLines is tghe bus showcase scheme of 6 major corridors - if you've seen all the new bus shelters and stuff going on - it is infact the pioneer in the country and is now used as a casestudy by pretty much every major city and town in the country. It has got us national status. The scheme is yet to get to Earlsden but will be there in next few months, you'll probs get a Newsletter about it through your door. Major plans for a certain junction in that area and the rest of it is pretty much just new bus stops and shelters ready for real time information. I think its still the biggest scheme of its type outside of London.

They've already made a mess of the junction of Albany Road/The Butts. It's actually created congestion and made it back up onto the roundabout for the ringroad. Terrible. It also means we have to queue even though our path (Turning up albany road) is clear. I have zero interest in buses. I try to avoid them as much as possible. Horrible things.

Most of the bus shelters around the city seem to be vandalised. Why are they wasting money on building more?

[Scazmattaz]

They've already made a mess of the junction of Albany Road/The Butts. It's actually created congestion and made it back up onto the roundabout for the ringroad. Terrible. It also means we have to queue even though our path (Turning up albany road) is clear. I have zero interest in buses. I try to avoid them as much as possible. Horrible things.

Most of the bus shelters around the city seem to be vandalised. Why are they wasting money on building more?

Have you ever heard of gating traffic? Its where you hold traffic at a certain point where the air quality and stuff is better to keep the congestion out of Earlsden and off Allesley Old Road at that terrible junction near Hearsall Common. Its gonna be looked at again but gating the traffic there (whether it be meant or not) is actually quite good for other parts of the city.

Its central government money and would have gone to another city for a similar scheme if coventry hadn't got it, so think yourself lucky we do have it! The new shelters have their glass replaced within 2 working days and the advertising revenue from the panels pays for this maintenance - thus it costs you nothing as a tax payer. Come on thats gotta be agreeable? And we haven't got horrid green centro shelters everywhere as they are pretty much all being replaced.

[Scazmattaz]

Adding to the air quality issues that junction with Allesley Old Road, Four Pounds and Hearsall Lane is it??? is one of the 3 air quality problem areas in the city. Therefore the city council legally have to do something about it. Would explain alot about those traffic lights tbhonest!!!

[rottersclub]

Have you ever heard of gating traffic? Its where you hold traffic at a certain point where the air quality and stuff is better to keep the congestion out of Earlsden and off Allesley Old Road at that terrible junction near Hearsall Common. Its gonna be looked at again but gating the traffic there (whether it be meant or not) is actually quite good for other parts of the city.

Its central government money and would have gone to another city for a similar scheme if coventry hadn't got it, so think yourself lucky we do have it! The new shelters have their glass replaced within 2 working days and the advertising revenue from the panels pays for this maintenance - thus it costs you nothing as a tax payer. Come on thats gotta be agreeable? And we haven't got horrid green centro shelters everywhere as they are pretty much all being replaced.

I'd rather any revenue from bus shelters go back into the pot for improvements, not replacing stuff that's been vandalised. Make the shits who destroy it pay for it.

[inspired]

PrimeLines is tghe bus showcase scheme of 6 major corridors - if you've seen all the new bus shelters and stuff going on - it is infact the pioneer in the country and is now used as a casestudy by pretty much every major city and town in the country. It has got us national status. The scheme is yet to get to Earlsden but will be there in next few months, you'll probs get a Newsletter about it through your door. Major plans for a certain junction in that area and the rest of it is pretty much just new bus stops and shelters ready for real time information. I think its still the biggest scheme of its type outside of London.

I think the primelines scheme on the foleshill road have been a hude success. The buses are cleaner and more frequent and the bus shelters display how long the next few buses are going to be as well as the bus number (on the electronic displays within the bus shelter).

[inspired]

They've already made a mess of the junction of Albany Road/The Butts. It's actually created congestion and made it back up onto the roundabout for the ringroad. Terrible. It also means we have to queue even though our path (Turning up albany road) is clear. I have zero interest in buses. I try to avoid them as much as possible. Horrible things.

Most of the bus shelters around the city seem to be vandalised. Why are they wasting money on building more?


since the primeline scheme on the foleshill/longford road, i rarely see vandalised bus shelters as they are maintained and cleaned daily.

[ccfc-4-life]

£1.5BN Scheme for Coventry being unveiled on Midlands Today at 6.30 tomorrow, everyone has to watch it! Might just be Friarsgate but as i've said elsewhere it seems a lot more money than Friargates Cannon Kirk have ever mentioned! I wont be able to sleep tonight thinking about this!!!

ooooh, this sounds big, WAY big lol, this sounds like it xould be one of the biggest schemes proposed in the UK this year, or at least one of the most expensive. Will keep my eyes open on MT tomorrow....:cheers: :)

[rottersclub]

I think the primelines scheme on the foleshill road have been a hude success. The buses are cleaner and more frequent and the bus shelters display how long the next few buses are going to be as well as the bus number (on the electronic displays within the bus shelter).

That's a good thing - the last time I tried to use a bus, I stood at a stop for ages without knowing if one would turn up. One didn't, so I ended up walking. It's about time they made the system usable.

[inspired]

That's a good thing - the last time I tried to use a bus, I stood at a stop for ages without knowing if one would turn up. One didn't, so I ended up walking. It's about time they made the system usable.

yes the system is great, you know what the next bus is going to be and how long it will take to arrive at the stop. Also all the buses are single deckers so you feel less intimidated by yobs that sit at the back of the bus on a double decker. Plus all the stops are clean rather than grotty old bus shelters with sheets of plastic in place of glass and graffiti everywhere. I hope this system is filtered through to all the services like in london.

[rottersclub]

yes the system is great, you know what the next bus is going to be and how long it will take to arrive at the stop. Also all the buses are single deckers so you feel less intimidated by yobs that sit at the back of the bus on a double decker. Plus all the stops are clean rather than grotty old bus shelters with sheets of plastic in place of glass and graffiti everywhere. I hope this system is filtered through to all the services like in london.

I hope it stays like it!

Weird, but when I was in Malta recently we used buses to get all over the island, and the ONLY yobbish behaviour we saw was a British bloke threatening a bus driver... Disgusting. The Maltese were very friendly and always helped us get off at the right stop and show us where to go.

[rottersclub]

Front page of the Cov Telegraph has a picture of Friargate on it. Didn't get much of a look, but it looked like a fairly bland glass 4 storey building...

[Scazmattaz]

Wow i like it! Has a real pressence and standing :) !!!

And the new masterplan! WOW!!! That is cool, now thats what i wasn't expecting - something with new architecure and turning buildings into pieces of modern art!! I was expecting something generic and repeatative so this is great, will try and scan it in in a bit :banana: :banana:

Additionally it has been mutedly announced that the city are developing a 500,000 sqft retail development for the City Centre. This is half the size of Bullring and pretty large for a place like Cov!

[rottersclub]

Wow i like it! Has a real pressence and standing :) !!!

And the new masterplan! WOW!!! That is cool, now thats what i wasn't expecting - something with new architecure and turning buildings into pieces of modern art!! I was expecting something generic and repeatative so this is great, will try and scan it in in a bit :banana: :banana:

Additionally it has been mutedly announced that the city are developing a 500,000 sqft retail development for the City Centre. This is half the size of Bullring and pretty large for a place like Cov!

Yeah, scan it in... I can't wait to see it! I only caught a glimpse this morning on the way out of the shop, and just saw a glass building. We get the telegraph delivered at home, so I won't see it until tonight.

What is this retail development?

[Scazmattaz]

Here we go i hope...
http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8642/friargatele3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[Scazmattaz]

Friargate Phase 1 - QCA Potential Building;
http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/5239/friargate2fq5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Sorry this isn't clearer!

[rottersclub]

http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_headline=gateway-to-coventry%26method=full%26objectid=18751283%26siteid=50003-name_page.html

Coventry telegraph website article - development features a lot of shopping, alongside apartments and the office space.

The actual size of the development is larger than the post-war precinct...

I wonder what the impact will be on the "old" city centre if this has a lot of retail?

[Scazmattaz]

http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_headline=gateway-to-coventry%26method=full%26objectid=18751283%26siteid=50003-name_page.html

Coventry telegraph website article - development features a lot of shopping, alongside apartments and the office space.

The actual size of the development is larger than the post-war precinct...

I wonder what the impact will be on the "old" city centre if this has a lot of retail?

I thought the same. I've been assured they will only be ground floor retail premises, so no department stores etc... It'll be shops, bars, restaurants and services and without a department store it should pose little threat to the existing centre. It is a concern however and the people who own the land around Barracks carpark for this proposed new shopping centre are going to be watching this very closely.

[rottersclub]

I thought the same. I've been assured they will only be ground floor retail premises, so no department stores etc... It'll be shops, bars, restaurants and services and without a department store it should pose little threat to the existing centre. It is a concern however and the people who own the land around Barracks carpark for this proposed new shopping centre are going to be watching this very closely.

So there's finally some movement on Barracks Car park? That's been mooted for yeeeeaaarrrss now.

Cov looks like it's heading on to have a larger city centre with multiple centres. Gosh, the place might feel like a city in the future.

[Scazmattaz]

Lol well theres movement and theres movement! Its moving pretty slowly but it always has been so i imagine that sometime later this year or maybe next we'll get some kinda idea of what is planned. The problem could be too much development and too few people who can actually use / are served by them!

Apparently Coventry is getting close to having a LACK of labour, and the council are somehow going to have to increase the population or retain graduates and those who re-locate.

[rottersclub]

Lol well theres movement and theres movement! Its moving pretty slowly but it always has been so i imagine that sometime later this year or maybe next we'll get some kinda idea of what is planned. The problem could be too much development and too few people who can actually use / are served by them!

Apparently Coventry is getting close to having a LACK of labour, and the council are somehow going to have to increase the population or retain graduates and those who re-locate.

A Lack of labour. LOL. Things certainly have changed in the city for this to happen. Then again, the city has absorbed losses of jobs in Jaguar, Peugot and even Rover very well.

YEs, they need to encourage graduates to stay. I didn't stay - I left for Sheffield to do a doctorate - but came back to work!

[di Livio]

Have you got a link? I've see the "block" model, but nothing else. Is there a more detailed plan?

There's a masterplan rendering in Estates Gazette, although it might have been last weeks.

[di Livio]

Oh, didn't read this page.

I really hope they resist the temptation to re-clad the tall mies van der rohe- style building that currently sits outside the station.

[rottersclub]

I've now seen the model in the paper - despite disappointment at there not being a landmark building, it looks fabulous... All different styles, a nice grid of streets and all leading to Greyfriar's green across the ringroad... Which appears to be in a tunnel...

Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Scazmattaz]

CELEBRATE!!

:dance:

Wooo MartinN is happy :)

I hope it looks as random and funky in real as it does in the masterplan!

[sleslie48]

Looks awsome, done everything that needs to really, let's just hope it doesn't get scaled down.

On a different note, there's a vote going on for what public art should go in the wonderfull(!!) new ironmonger sq. Theres soem images of what it might look like here too. It looks lame

http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ccm/content/chief-executives-directorate/corporate-policy/communications-team/news-releases-2007/burges-revamp-planned.en

why is it that this which is a bad idea in my mind could go ahead so quickly, it's as if the council know it's not a great idea and are rushing it through. On the plus side the plan does include making those horrible back bits into active frontages, not sure how tho.

"Remove all existing trees and replace with new appropriate species"
Whats the point of that! And it seems as tho they have magic lights that will transform all those horrible buildings

Long live the station, everyone can just go there instead

[sleslie48]

Realised that all sounded really negative. The station looks very good, I was surprised at how diverse the architecture is and cant believe a road is actually going to go all the way into the city centre. Hopefully the sucess or support of this might give a stronger argument for removing other bits of the ring road

[Dr Pepper]

I wonder if the the recent decision not to lower the ringroad at swanswell is to help save money towards the station area?

[rottersclub]

Looks awsome, done everything that needs to really, let's just hope it doesn't get scaled down.

On a different note, there's a vote going on for what public art should go in the wonderfull(!!) new ironmonger sq. Theres soem images of what it might look like here too. It looks lame

http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ccm/content/chief-executives-directorate/corporate-policy/communications-team/news-releases-2007/burges-revamp-planned.en

why is it that this which is a bad idea in my mind could go ahead so quickly, it's as if the council know it's not a great idea and are rushing it through. On the plus side the plan does include making those horrible back bits into active frontages, not sure how tho.

"Remove all existing trees and replace with new appropriate species"
Whats the point of that! And it seems as tho they have magic lights that will transform all those horrible buildings

Long live the station, everyone can just go there instead

Ironmonger Square is cheap. The real solution - do something with the back of Primark - open it up so it's got at least a floor of retail units facing the square. Sort ouf that ugly road to the back of West Orchard (Why HAVE AN ENTRANCE TO A SHOPPING MALL AT THE BACK OF GROTTY TERRACES?!) and maybe it'll work.

Cov Council need to start being harsh. Primark hasn't done anything for Coventry. I'd rather the old Allders be empty than be Primark.

[sleslie48]

Id rather it be flat! Could put a large building there thats joins with the brick buildings in trinity street and get broadgate back to a sq with two roads on that side - cross cheaping and trinity. There are way too many sq's around there, dont need another. Broadgate, Priory place, millenium place, axa new development bull yard, precinct, not saying there all bad, but that too many really, don't need another, need streets with retail fronts.

[inspired]

link to the midlands today report on friarsgate

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6450000/newsid_6451800/6451895.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm

[rottersclub]

link to the midlands today report on friarsgate

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6450000/newsid_6451800/6451895.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm


Good article! It's about time they started to show that Coventry has changed a lot over the last 15 years.

[Scazmattaz]

It has been announced today that Bella Italia will join Metro Bar and Grill at Belgrade Plaza. This is considerably significant news for the scheme and will encourage other operators like ASK (who own ASK, Zizzis and a few others) and maybe even a Wagamamas to consider the scheme. Seriously good news guys!!!

The Binley Retail Park has been in the paper today; as i mentioned Boots and Halfords are interested, and the developers are targetting Costa Coffee. Sounds like another dreary Arena Shopping Park to me and i doubt it'll do the city centre any good!!!

[rottersclub]

Do you know what's happening with "Butts Apartments"? Is that one on hold now?

[inspired]

Do you know what's happening with "Butts Apartments"? Is that one on hold now?

There was a large advert in last weeks evening telegraph within the hosung section about an open day (so to speak) for those who were interested in buying apartments to come and view the development plans/scheme.
Sorry i cant remember the date.

[rottersclub]

I saw the article about Binley - houses, apartments and retail. From the picture they printed, it looks as if they're creating some sort of "square" as opposed to a bunch of sheds around a car park. Much more like a proper regional town centre than a retail park... It could be good for that area, which is just a bit of a sprawl of houses without any real defined centre.

[rottersclub]

Phase 2 City college is on the planning portal:

http://planning.coventry.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=668374

[ccfc-4-life]

anybody have news on phase 2 of the butts park arena???

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=450963

[rottersclub]

anybody have news on phase 2 of the butts park arena???

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=450963

Not sure, but I think the Rugby club has been sold on.

There's a huge proposal for the Butts, it was in the paper a while back.

[Dr Pepper]

Seemed off topic in the Ikea thread.

The recession in the 1970s devastated Coventry - I did some research into it for an MA a few years back, and it's pretty much why Coventry's had it easy - they'd only just finished the ringroad when the city's economy collapsed, leaving a lot of ideas unfinished and probably stopping any developments in the city centre. They had crazy plans for monorails and even more flyovers linking the ringroad directly to the car parks. It's taken 30 years to get it back on track... Which it seems to be at the moment.

A monorail! That what I'm talking about! Any more about these plans on the web? (Other than the ones at Historic Coventry)

There are some more modern ideas for Coventry here:

http://www.coventryinspires.co.uk/ideas/index.htm

Some are rather good and some are frankly pants. Not sure who came up with them though.

[ccfc-4-life]

wow/\/\ LOL

[rottersclub]

Seemed off topic in the Ikea thread.



A monorail! That what I'm talking about! Any more about these plans on the web? (Other than the ones at Historic Coventry)

There are some more modern ideas for Coventry here:

http://www.coventryinspires.co.uk/ideas/index.htm

Some are rather good and some are frankly pants. Not sure who came up with them though.

Coventry Ambassadors did this. Most of them are terrible.

[inspired]

the council will be discussing the swanswell master plan tonight, I wonder what the out come will be?

[rottersclub]

the council will be discussing the swanswell master plan tonight, I wonder what the out come will be?

I thought they'd decided to keep the ringroad, but remove the junction - although isn't this junction the main access into the bus station?

Those flats by the ringroad are horrendous looking things... What sort of idiot would buy a flat with a depressing view (And the noise!) of the ringroad next to it.

[Dr Pepper]

I thought they'd decided to keep the ringroad, but remove the junction - although isn't this junction the main access into the bus station?

Those flats by the ringroad are horrendous looking things... What sort of idiot would buy a flat with a depressing view (And the noise!) of the ringroad next to it.

The plans for the removal of junction 2 are to be discussed tonight by the council, according to BBC C&W radio this morning. It would seem the council are going for option 2 of the proposed Swanswell plans.

Those flats are indeed horrendous. They have wooden frames with a brick outer cladding and a flat roof. Cheap and nasty. They will probably be purchased by investors and landlords keen to park their money somewhere safe. Buy to let is still very popular and the building companies know it. They can keep building crap because many of the purchasers won't be the ones living in the properties.

Credit should go to Complex Development Projects building Electric Wharf as they insist their buyers live in the property they are buying for at least two years before thay can sell. This blocks out the speculators and landlords and helps create a community.

[rottersclub]

The plans for the removal of junction 2 are to be discussed tonight by the council, according to BBC C&W radio this morning. It would seem the council are going for option 2 of the proposed Swanswell plans.

Those flats are indeed horrendous. They have wooden frames with a brick outer cladding and a flat roof. Cheap and nasty. They will probably be purchased by investors and landlords keen to park their money somewhere safe. Buy to let is still very popular and the building companies know it. They can keep building crap because many of the purchasers won't be the ones living in the properties.

Credit should go to Complex Development Projects building Electric Wharf as they insist their buyers live in the property they are buying for at least two years before thay can sell. This blocks out the speculators and landlords and helps create a community.

Any investor buying those flats is going to lose out. They have to be some of the most poorly located, ugly flats I've ever seen. This is what Swanswell will be in the future - cheap, nasty, and overshadowed by a ringroad. Developers just won't be interested in the odd shaped parcels of land down there. The council know this - it's one of the reasons why the area is in the state it is in!

[rottersclub]

The peugot site has apparently been sold to a developer - Trenport Investments Limited... Contracts have been exchanged, apparently.

They appear to be a housing firm: http://www.trenport.co.uk/

I thought this land was going to be retained for employment use.

[Jags]

WOW, havent posted for a while, been really busy. I love the station development it looks amazing. I cant believe its being built in cov. £1.5bn on one development is fantastic. Im not to sure about the Parkcourt building though, it looks a bit bland from the render i saw on iccoventry. But over all i love the whole development if it actually goes ahead as planned. Is it planned to be completed by 2010? If so that is really quick.

I love the development but im concerned at the actual scale of it even though it is phased. I think they may not be able to fill it withough drawing the life out of the rest of the city centre, which may not be a bad thing actually,lol. I hope they build the road into the centre, with out this it will just be another wasted opportunity like the swanswell. Have the plans been submitted yet? Are there any other potential occupiers apart from the QCA?

[Jags]

i also found this article regarding West Orchards.

The fruits of labour
What's going on underneath the West Orchards covers? Graham Parker reports
Published: 01 March, 2007
Page 20

West Orchards is one of three covered centres in Coventry city centre. Dating from 1991, the centre provides 206,000 of retail space across three trading levels, anchored by Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and WH Smith.

The most spectacular feature of the centre is the cavernous atrium at the heart of the scheme. All three car parking levels and the three retail levels open out into the atrium, which means navigation around the scheme is clear and simple with 12 escalators and four lifts.

"It's all about vertical circulation," says centre manager Andy Talbot, whose office looks directly down into the atrium so he can see what's going on. "And it means we've got plenty of natural light."

Another key part of the West Orchards mix is the food court on level two of the atrium. "The food court ensures the centre stays busy," says Talbot. "It's a big footfall driver and it gives people a reason to walk past all the other retailers."

Last year, the food court saw a £1.5m refurbishment, increasing capacity from 480 to 700 covers. "That was a direct response to it being oversubscribed every lunchtime and at weekends," Talbot explains. As part of the works, the old management suite and public toilets were demolished to make way for the extension. New toilets were created beside the food court and the management office moved to its new eyrie-like location perched at the top of the atrium.

The money was well spent, according to Talbot. "The food court has seen a 30 per cent increase in turnover, against a forecast uplift of 24 per cent," he says. And it's paying dividends for the centre as a whole, with footfall up 6 per cent year-on-year in November and December 2006, well ahead of both the regional and national averages.

"We're getting great customer feedback," says Talbot, "and retailers close to the food court are seeing trade up by 20 per cent."

The figures bear out Talbot's conviction that the food court is key to the West Orchards offer. "When I joined four years ago it was going the wrong way," he says. "We brought in KFC and Natural Choice before the refurb, which put £1m on the turnover, and BB's Coffee & Muffins has come in since the refurb. It's all about the mix and the environment."

Talbot is especially proud of the way marketing was used to mitigate the disruption while the refurb was taking place, and he's planning to enter the campaign for this year's Purple Apples. "We encouraged people to use the food court as a takeaway while the works were in progress," he explains. "We'd budgeted for a 25 per cent fall in sales but, in fact, they were up 8 per cent."

And to spread the word when the refurbed food court reopened, celebrity chef James Martin was invited for the relaunch, and a teddy bears' picnic brought in the families.

With the food court sorted Talbot is looking at the rest of the centre. "We're looking at other ways of improving the service to our customers," he says. "I review the management team every year to ensure we're offering the right things to our retailers and the public and as a result, in November we created two new customer service manager posts.

"Their role is new so I've asked them to look at our customer service and identify how it can be improved." The two are about to make their recommendations to operations manager Jim Melia, but they've already started to make changes. For instance, they've started working with a local college to offer customer service training on-site.

As a former retailer - before joining West Orchards he ran the electrical retailer Dixons' airport operations across most of the UK - Talbot is well aware of the importance of the personal touch. "If customers see a smiling face, it rubs off on them," he says. "Now we're investing in that."

And he tries to bring that approach to his own management style. "I remember the shopping centre managers I encountered when I was a store manager," he says. "They found every excuse they could to say 'No.' I thought I could bring a can-do attitude to the job."

For the past three years, West Orchards has been run under a facilities management contract with MacLellan. Andy Talbot and one other member of staff are employed directly by landlord Prupim. The other 48 members of the team are employed by MacLellan, handling the cleaning, security and staffing of the food court.

Talbot says this approach allows him to concentrate on strategic matters, particularly focusing on driving new income streams. "A lot of centre managers can be afraid of letting go," he says. "But if you trust your team - and you delegate rather than abdicate responsibility - you can still keep an eye on the place but at a higher level.

"FM has transformed the operation," he adds. "Everything's transparent - they operate on a fixed percentage and it's a completely open book."

Big changes are afoot at West Orchards because Prupim has put the investment up for sale through CB Richard Ellis, 13 years after it bought the centre from the original developer Burton Property Trust. The sale is likely to go through this spring.

"It's a rock solid investment," says Talbot. "We've got some strong covenants on long leases. If anything, the difficulty has been creating evidence at rent review because there hasn't been the turnover of retailers." At the moment, there are just three voids out of 40 units, and two of those are filled with temporary lets.

Talbot says rents vary from mall to mall, but range from £75 to £110 zone A, which compares with £180 zone A outside the centre in The Precinct. Any new owner would naturally look to narrow this gap. "When we've talked to potential buyers they've been very excited about the opportunities in Coventry as a whole," he says.

Talbot talks with great enthusiasm about the changes taking place in Coventry and clearly sees his role as an ambassador for the city as much as for the centre itself. On the retail side, Primark has moved into the old Allders store next to West Orchards; New Look has taken a large new store; and in November 2007, Ikea will open its first city centre store nearby.

"That will have a huge impact," Talbot forecasts. "Coventry will be the first Ikea where people can pop into the town centre and do the rest of their shopping in the same trip."

This will be particularly useful in extending Coventry's catchment into the prosperous regions to the south, while at the same time making up some of the ground lost to the north following the opening of the Ropewalk in Nuneaton.

At the same time, the council is promoting a new leisure quarter around the refurbished Belgrade Theatre, with a new Radisson hotel and a range of restaurants and bars. And up to 3 million sq ft of mixed-use space is planned in a comprehensive redevelopment of the area around Coventry railway station.

"The investment sale is a huge opportunity to work with a new landlord, and with the wider city centre," concludes Talbot.

[rottersclub]

Interesting article about West Orchards. However, the place is rubbish - I went in there this weekend, and it's almost completely filled with discount//bargain stores. In fact, Coventry is steadily getting worse - more stores seemed to have closed, and nothing new has opened up - apart from another cheapo "ex-catalogue" store.

More on the Peugot site:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/6471753.stm

[rottersclub]

WOW, havent posted for a while, been really busy. I love the station development it looks amazing. I cant believe its being built in cov. £1.5bn on one development is fantastic. Im not to sure about the Parkcourt building though, it looks a bit bland from the render i saw on iccoventry. But over all i love the whole development if it actually goes ahead as planned. Is it planned to be completed by 2010? If so that is really quick.

I love the development but im concerned at the actual scale of it even though it is phased. I think they may not be able to fill it withough drawing the life out of the rest of the city centre, which may not be a bad thing actually,lol. I hope they build the road into the centre, with out this it will just be another wasted opportunity like the swanswell. Have the plans been submitted yet? Are there any other potential occupiers apart from the QCA?

The cynic in me expects this to be scaled down, especially the ringroad aspect of it - the council appear to be scared of doing anything with the ringroad. Although on the other hand, the station area is such a mess, really.

On another note - the "health map" of Coventry published in recently shows a an absolutely stark North-South divide in the City, with the poor health of the North being related to deprivation...

I wonder if they're still aiming to get a HQ for a company in Cov?

[Jags]

They need to get a HQ, HQ's are long term prospects for businesses so there is less chance of them closing of reducing numbers of staff, regional offices suffer from fluctuations and closures as the markets change. I think they need to concentrate on SME's to take space, these are types of businesses that will be keen to take grade A office space at a good price, it makes an impression to clients and they also have the option to expand within the same building. I think Cannon Kirk will push for this, its not a public funded project like the Swanswell, it would benefit potential clients of Cannon Kirk so i think they will make sure it goes ahead.

[rottersclub]

They need to get a HQ, HQ's are long term prospects for businesses so there is less chance of them closing of reducing numbers of staff, regional offices suffer from fluctuations and closures as the markets change. I think they need to concentrate on SME's to take space, these are types of businesses that will be keen to take grade A office space at a good price, it makes an impression to clients and they also have the option to expand within the same building. I think Cannon Kirk will push for this, its not a public funded project like the Swanswell, it would benefit potential clients of Cannon Kirk so i think they will make sure it goes ahead.

The fact it's not council funded (Like Swanswell, which seems to have generated absolutely no commercial interest, and I don't think it will now) gives me hope.

Chances are I won't be in Coventry to see it. The local job prospects are terrible, and we may end up moving down south. I'm looking to change in the next 2 years.

[Scazmattaz]

Cllr Foster is now determined to remove the busgate on Corporation Street. As i've said before this will cause chaos at busy times, impede all the bus services include Park & Ride, and destroy the effects being taken to redesign the whole area to make pedestrian movements between IKEA and the city core shopping area easier.

Who would support me if i set up a petition against its removal?

[Dr Pepper]

You can put me down for a signature.

[Jags]

i dont think it makes much difference, if anything it probably enhances the area by making into a real street again.

[rottersclub]

Cllr Foster is now determined to remove the busgate on Corporation Street. As i've said before this will cause chaos at busy times, impede all the bus services include Park & Ride, and destroy the effects being taken to redesign the whole area to make pedestrian movements between IKEA and the city core shopping area easier.

Who would support me if i set up a petition against its removal?


Do you work for the bus company, or something?

[Scazmattaz]

No i dont, but i work with sustainable transport as part of my job. Removing bus gates is a step backwards and regression against what every other city in the UK has gone. I find it inconcievable that anyone would be happy the bus gates would go - walking around the city centre is at the moment okay cos the roads are quiet. People will find vantage points and start using more of the inner ring-road road system when the city centre is meant to be pretty much car-free!

[Scazmattaz]

Also the bus gates were put in because there was a safety problem, accident rates on corporation street were one of the highest in the city. Removing it will restore that level of accidents; if not many more because of IKEA opening.

So therefore how is being able to drive on a 100m stretch of road with no shop frontages, services or accesses going to improve you quality of shopping experience in the city centre? It wont - it will discourage more people to shop in the city and discourage those wanting to leave IKEA and have a walk around. It all points to negatives.

[Dr Pepper]

Are there any drawings or renders available for the Swanswell ringroad plans?

[rottersclub]

No i dont, but i work with sustainable transport as part of my job. Removing bus gates is a step backwards and regression against what every other city in the UK has gone. I find it inconcievable that anyone would be happy the bus gates would go - walking around the city centre is at the moment okay cos the roads are quiet. People will find vantage points and start using more of the inner ring-road road system when the city centre is meant to be pretty much car-free!

Actually, I agree... The argument is from the usual Spon Street suspects. I'd rather they incorporate Spon Street into the shopping area more rather than allow cars round there. I think the lower precinct redevelopment was a missed oppurtunity to do this.

[sleslie48]

im actually undecided on the bus gates, i know it's ultimately a bad thing, but i prefer driving around streets like that to the ring road and I also prefer walking round streets with more traffic, it makes it feel more alive, especially coventry where it's dead pedestrian wise too. If there was alot of pedestrian activity then fair enough. I can see how it will cause chaos, it might make it feel like a city tho.

I remember talking to a transport person from the council a while back and he said they ultimately wanted to pedestrianise the high st and broadgate. Im assuming this isnt happening now. If u take all the traffic away your left with a precinct. I know this isn't what your suggesting but thought I'd squeeze it in

[rottersclub]

im actually undecided on the bus gates, i know it's ultimately a bad thing, but i prefer driving around streets like that to the ring road and I also prefer walking round streets with more traffic, it makes it feel more alive, especially coventry where it's dead pedestrian wise too. If there was alot of pedestrian activity then fair enough. I can see how it will cause chaos, it might make it feel like a city tho.

I remember talking to a transport person from the council a while back and he said they ultimately wanted to pedestrianise the high st and broadgate. Im assuming this isnt happening now. If u take all the traffic away your left with a precinct. I know this isn't what your suggesting but thought I'd squeeze it in

My main worry is that they pedestrian Coventry so much, have all these rules about which car park you can get to from certain junctions, and just end up driving people away... And let's face it, people living around Coventry don't like the place much and would rather go elsewhere, and many people in the Southern suburbs go to Leamington as it's easier and far nicer.

Much of the existing pedestrianised areas are filled with closed down shops and are dead past 5:00 most evenings. It's a bit of a depressing place. I just worry that they're draining the life out of it by making it too pedestrianised. Although I should say "remaining" life out of it, as Coventry is one of the deadest towns I've ever been to.

I don't think IKEA is going to generate much pedestrian flow into the precinct.

[Scazmattaz]

I agree, i think IKEA will draw people from the city centre who already shop there, thats where the pedestrian flows will come from.

[Jonny Gee]

Some more apartments (student accomodation i guess) have been built at the bottom of Far Gosford Street. Design wise they look very similar to the apartments just over the road on Sky Blue Way, but smaller. It is very bland.

I am hoping there is a reason for this. Like maybe the university is planning on getting rid of some of those brutalist buildings around Priory Hall (is it?).

[Scazmattaz]

No this student accomodation is completely private, and aimed at 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students whereas priory hall is just for first years! Its what started happening in Brum a few years back, students seem to have more money and want to live in en-suite accomodation as opposed to a wonky terrace!

[rottersclub]

No this student accomodation is completely private, and aimed at 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students whereas priory hall is just for first years! Its what started happening in Brum a few years back, students seem to have more money and want to live in en-suite accomodation as opposed to a wonky terrace!

When I was a student in Coventry, the private housing was awful - dingy terraces with nothing working.

I did a year in Priory Hall - what a dump.

[Dr Pepper]

Some more apartments (student accomodation i guess) have been built at the bottom of Far Gosford Street. Design wise they look very similar to the apartments just over the road on Sky Blue Way, but smaller. It is very bland.

I am hoping there is a reason for this. Like maybe the university is planning on getting rid of some of those brutalist buildings around Priory Hall (is it?).

Those apartments are being built by the same company as the ones on Raglan St near Singer Hall. I suspect the new flats opposite Brandish Vauxhall will also go the same way and have wealthier foreign students in them. Makes my room in Singer look like a year in a slum.

[Dr Pepper]

Interesting article about West Orchards. However, the place is rubbish - I went in there this weekend, and it's almost completely filled with discount//bargain stores. In fact, Coventry is steadily getting worse - more stores seemed to have closed, and nothing new has opened up - apart from another cheapo "ex-catalogue" store. [/URL]

I was walking through town yestersday and in the short distance from the old Burger King to the top of the Arcade (including Shelton Sq) I counted 7 closed shops and one other closing down. That part of town needs some serious work.

With a wrecking ball.

Urgently.

[Scazmattaz]

Well Halifax are moving to Burger King, which is the 'wrong side' of Coventry Point - they must know something we dont! Maybe its something to do with IKEA?

[rottersclub]

Well Halifax are moving to Burger King, which is the 'wrong side' of Coventry Point - they must know something we dont! Maybe its something to do with IKEA?

Perhaps. It's an odd place for a bank, though.

[sleslie48]

Ah singer hall was awsome, block 39 all the way!

I'm actually in my final year now and am really glad to be living in a house on radford road. Nearly everyone else I know lives in a terraced house in stoke with every house having exactly the same layout. Ours is actually different.

The uni buildings around priory aren't going anywhere soon, even tho they should. Apparently, if they knock down priory or the other smaller tower, the movement of the earth it would cause would make all the surrounding buildings subside and becaome unsafe! May not be any truth in that, but heard it from quite a few people. They looked at knocking priory down a couple of years ago because it had asbestos but they just fixed it instead! The smaller tower is empty.

I'd like to see the centre of the uni shift out of the centre a bit. If they build the new Students Union, the aim of that is to shift it away from outside the cathedral. All the Uni buildings are the same tho. I went into the techno centre the other day, and the interior walls of each office are actually cardboard I think!

[rottersclub]

Those apartments are being built by the same company as the ones on Raglan St near Singer Hall. I suspect the new flats opposite Brandish Vauxhall will also go the same way and have wealthier foreign students in them. Makes my room in Singer look like a year in a slum.

My wife lived in Caradoc Hall as a student - about 3 miles out of the city centre, slap bang in the middle of an absolutely dismal area... She enjoyed it, though.

[rottersclub]

Ah singer hall was awsome, block 39 all the way!

I'm actually in my final year now and am really glad to be living in a house on radford road. Nearly everyone else I know lives in a terraced house in stoke with every house having exactly the same layout. Ours is actually different.

The uni buildings around priory aren't going anywhere soon, even tho they should. Apparently, if they knock down priory or the other smaller tower, the movement of the earth it would cause would make all the surrounding buildings subside and becaome unsafe! May not be any truth in that, but heard it from quite a few people. They looked at knocking priory down a couple of years ago because it had asbestos but they just fixed it instead! The smaller tower is empty.

I'd like to see the centre of the uni shift out of the centre a bit. If they build the new Students Union, the aim of that is to shift it away from outside the cathedral. All the Uni buildings are the same tho. I went into the techno centre the other day, and the interior walls of each office are actually cardboard I think!


There's been all sorts of rumours about Cov Uni. In 1990 it was going round that architect killed himself because people hated his buildings so much. There were also stories about the 19 storey tower in priory hall being dangerous because it swayed too much. That it had concrete cancer, etc, etc.

The campus is a real eyesore, and absolutely ruins the Cathedral. The grassy bits are OK, but the buildings just look like they're ready to collapse! I remember once it was raining hard, and the Geography/Maths building was just so flooded - there was water pouring down the stairs.

What's it like being a student in Cov now? It seems that there have been changes, but a lot of the pubs have gone, and there's not as much live music anymore... In 1990 Cov had a pretty OK live music scene, with the Main Hall in the building by the Cathedral, the Biko Bar and then the Tic-Toc (Colosseum) in Hillfields. Places like the Peacock have gone, the Hand and Heart's closed down. A lot more restaurants... The old Lady Godiva seems to be shut (Again!)... I suppose there's faithful Browns (In the lower precinct when I was a student!) and the Cross... And all the new bars in Priory Place.

[Scazmattaz]

Monring guys; update on the retailing situtation...

New shops wanting to close either due to bankrupcy or company policies against city centre locations;

Blue Star - The Precinct
Sharps / Moben - Market Way
Innovate Phones - Market Way
Card Party - Market Way
GAME - Broadgate - they have another store in West Orchards???
Toni and Guy - Market Way (as mentioned previously)
Shoe Express - Market Way
Clarks - Market Way

I would bet a lot of money that all this would not be happening if Central Six WASN'T built - its sucked so many retailers out to the edge of town and the ones that are left are focused around Upper and Lower Precinct.

[Scazmattaz]

Update on Leamington retailing situation...

Shops moving out...

Bratz - Park Street
Threshers - Park Street
Futon Company - Regent Street
Thortons - The Parade
Pilot - Royal Priors
Knickerbox - Royal Priors
Penny Plain - Regent Court

Thats a much more high-profile list than Coventrys!!

[Scazmattaz]

Update on Nuneaton retailing situation...

Shops moving out...

Extra Personnel - Harefield Road
Gilesport - Abbeygate
Reveal - Abbey Street
Cardfair - Harefield Road

[Scazmattaz]

It seems the outlook for the High Street in general is pretty shocking at the moment and the internet, but primarily retail parks, are seriously taking trade away from Town and City Centre retailing areas.

The only way forward i can see is for Tesco to open a Metro store on Market Way past Coventry Point - which would bring some life and status back to the area. Coventry's planning policies have been disastrous since the late 1980s / 1990s and has 'shifted' retail space from the city centre through the creation of 1Ms of sq-footage in retail parks, effectively making 100,000s of sq footage in the city centre defunct.

[rottersclub]

Monring guys; update on the retailing situtation...

New shops wanting to close either due to bankrupcy or company policies against city centre locations;

Blue Star - The Precinct
Sharps / Moben - Market Way
Innovate Phones - Market Way
Card Party - Market Way
GAME - Broadgate - they have another store in West Orchards???
Toni and Guy - Market Way (as mentioned previously)
Shoe Express - Market Way
Clarks - Market Way

I would bet a lot of money that all this would not be happening if Central Six WASN'T built - its sucked so many retailers out to the edge of town and the ones that are left are focused around Upper and Lower Precinct.

Incredible - most of Market Way is emptying? I've never seen anything like it - during the 1990s recession it was never this bad. Mobens isn't a good city centre business, nor is the hairdressers - often wondered why they were there.

Clarks have a store in the Lower Precinct.
Game have 2 other stores in Cov (Ricoh & as you say, West Orchard).

[rottersclub]

Update on Leamington retailing situation...

Shops moving out...

Bratz - Park Street
Threshers - Park Street
Futon Company - Regent Street
Thortons - The Parade
Pilot - Royal Priors
Knickerbox - Royal Priors
Penny Plain - Regent Court

Thats a much more high-profile list than Coventrys!!

Yes, I agree. The Coventry closures are cheap card shops, low end fashion retailers and duplicate stores. Although isn't Pilot in Coventry closing as well?

[rottersclub]

It seems the outlook for the High Street in general is pretty shocking at the moment and the internet, but primarily retail parks, are seriously taking trade away from Town and City Centre retailing areas.

The only way forward i can see is for Tesco to open a Metro store on Market Way past Coventry Point - which would bring some life and status back to the area. Coventry's planning policies have been disastrous since the late 1980s / 1990s and has 'shifted' retail space from the city centre through the creation of 1Ms of sq-footage in retail parks, effectively making 100,000s of sq footage in the city centre defunct.

Why would Tesco open up a metro store when there is not a great deal of city centre business? The Co-Op closed. Sainsbury's attempt closed after about a year. The city centre doesn't have enough people living in it to support a supermarket, and it is poorly connected to the residential areas outside the ringroad. And there are plenty of supermarkets around the suburbs. It seems there's no demand for more apartments. Students/pensioners use Sainsbury's in pool meadow, but won't be interested in a Tesco in Market Way.

I agree though - and I thought it 10 years ago - that Coventry had far too much out of town retail. It also has a largely unloved city centre environment that will now start to look even worse - Market Way, Sheldon Square, Bullyard, Hertford Street are filled with empty units and closed shops. It still has no vibrancy about it, and all the council are doing is building more squares filled with empty office buildings & shop units.

All that has happened in Coventry is that the run down lower precinct has been replaced by Market Way/Sheldon Square/City Arcade/etc. The upper precinct is filled with budget stores. West Orchards is filled with budget stores and remainder stores. Corporation Street is a mess as well.

[Dr Pepper]

Well Halifax are moving to Burger King, which is the 'wrong side' of Coventry Point - they must know something we dont! Maybe its something to do with IKEA?

It's hard to believe they will get a higher footfall in Market Way than in West Orchards.

[Scazmattaz]

It's hard to believe they will get a higher footfall in Market Way than in West Orchards.

I agree, but i guess most of the banks are in high street / hertford street area and the rents are cheaper in market way than west orchards so they are trying to get the cheapest location? Seems backward thinking to me.

[rottersclub]

There's a nice picture of the masterplan on the friargate website.

http://www.friargatecoventry.co.uk/masterplan.php

Pretty, pretty colours! And a wonderful collection of different shaped buildings arranged around STREETS. And look at the lack of subways and bridges over the ringroad!

[ccfc-4-life]

ooooooooooooooohhhhhh/\/\/\

me like:P

[Scazmattaz]

I still think that Station House looks like Teletubby Land in the Masterplan lol; i hope it has more than 8 windows in real:lol: !!

[rottersclub]

I still think that Station House looks like Teletubby Land in the Masterplan lol; i hope it has more than 8 windows in real:lol: !!

That tower looks totally different to the existing tower...

[rottersclub]

I've just read that Brown's Lane has been sold to Macquarie - to be turned into "Warehousing and office."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/6501871.stm

[inspired]

i wonder if this will have an effect on the demand of office space at friarsgate

[rottersclub]

i wonder if this will have an effect on the demand of office space at friarsgate

Add to this: the Banner Lane "hi tech" business park development (including the old Massey Ferguson tower).
Whitley Business Park

I get the feeling Friargate may be aimed at different types of clients, perhaps businesses that need high speed links to London.

If you look at

planning.coventry.gov.uk, there are currently a lot of applications in for industrial/research business type units around Coventry... Prologis, Holbrooks, Binley, etc...

Is there a demand for this sort of stuff? Scazmattaz?

[rottersclub]

http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_headline=shutters-down-on-hair-salon%26method=full%26objectid=18819268%26siteid=50003-name_page.html


This another closing store, and one funded by that "business vitality" thing that gives reduced rents for a year or so... Surprisingly, none of the shops have lasted long.

[inspired]

ive read somehere that paragon park has an estimated date of completion of 2014

[rottersclub]

More on Brown's Lane.

http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_headline=jobs-joy-at-browns-lane-site%26method=full%26objectid=18819303%26page=1%26siteid=50003-name_page.html

Looks good. Mixed development... Diverse industries.

[Jags]

rosebys on hertford street opposite HMV is closing down. The cafe that opened where VIP clothing was has been closed down.

The old BW store is being fitted out though.

This really is not good for the city, all of these units lying empty, is really the death of the cities retail if you ask me.

[rottersclub]

rosebys on hertford street opposite HMV is closing down. The cafe that opened where VIP clothing was has been closed down.

The old BW store is being fitted out though.

This really is not good for the city, all of these units lying empty, is really the death of the cities retail if you ask me.

If it means they can demolish the dismal precinct & market and all those grim squares, it suits me fine. Even if they leave it as a lawn, it'd be better than what's there at the moment.

Coventry has lost out to places like Leamington and Nuneaton. I don't think it'll ever be a decent retail destination - not in its current form, at least.

[Dr Pepper]

I noticed that there is a planning notice outside the the old court building opposite the Cathedral for it to become a some sort of bar.

[rottersclub]

I noticed that there is a planning notice outside the the old court building opposite the Cathedral for it to become a some sort of bar.


They've been trying to turn that into a bar for about 3 years!

[Jags]

who is it being done by? Ilove that building, but it has been empty for years and years.

[Jags]

If it means they can demolish the dismal precinct & market and all those grim squares, it suits me fine. Even if they leave it as a lawn, it'd be better than what's there at the moment.

Coventry has lost out to places like Leamington and Nuneaton. I don't think it'll ever be a decent retail destination - not in its current form, at least.

the problem is, will they actually develop it or will they just leave it empty and let it stagnate? Thats what seems to be happening all over the city centre.

[rottersclub]

the problem is, will they actually develop it or will they just leave it empty and let it stagnate? Thats what seems to be happening all over the city centre.

It depends if they can find someone willing to pay for it to be developed.

It's odd - with all the developments going on, the shopping aspect is curling up and dying.

It's a spiral though - people in South Cov go to Leamington. Easy to get to, decent shops, NICE environment. The more stuff that shuts down in Cov, the worse it feels and looks, so more people go elsewhere...

[Jags]

It depends if they can find someone willing to pay for it to be developed.

It's odd - with all the developments going on, the shopping aspect is curling up and dying.

It's a spiral though - people in South Cov go to Leamington. Easy to get to, decent shops, NICE environment. The more stuff that shuts down in Cov, the worse it feels and looks, so more people go elsewhere...

maybe they are closing for a reason. maybe the owners are actually starting to realise the potential of the site(being so close to the new station development) and are just letting leases run out and not renewing them? I think hertford street is actually owned by an insurance company.

[Dr Pepper]

If the shops were profitable I doubt they would be closing. The Shelton Sq area seems to be on a downward spiral at present making a major redevelopment of that part of town desperatly needed. Knock down Shelton Sq, the market and Arcade (and Coventry Point for a clear line of site). Build a quality shopping centre in their place to generate foot traffic between it and West Orchard.

I'll have the moon on a stick as well please.

[Jags]

i agree but the problem is, the centres atmosphere and environment are so poor, the council put small peices in but dont really look at the major impact that the environment really has. They put fountains and round balls all over the place that just suck the life out of an area, they dont really put any seating in to these developments or create any active frontages, the retail stock is poor, the new stuff is sparse and far from each other, there isnt any cohesion between anything in the city. They are scared of loosing retailers, yet more and more are leaving because the area is so bad, until they realise the only way to get retailers to open is by creating cohesion between all areas of the city and a natural walkway that has a great environment. People need to be attracted by the city centre, it needs to offer something significantly different to what is being offered in out of town shopping parks and other towns like leamington.

[rottersclub]

If the shops were profitable I doubt they would be closing. The Shelton Sq area seems to be on a downward spiral at present making a major redevelopment of that part of town desperatly needed. Knock down Shelton Sq, the market and Arcade (and Coventry Point for a clear line of site). Build a quality shopping centre in their place to generate foot traffic between it and West Orchard.

I'll have the moon on a stick as well please.

I think it'd take more than that. I reckon the area within the ringroad is going to decline further, especially the precinct. It's looking tatty, ugly, and dreary - and Coventry is a real pain to get into and park in, and will be even more confusing and awkward when they start messing around with the ringroad junctions and blocking off the streets in the centre.

We get to Leamington in 10 minutes, park for free, and we're there in the centre - no probs. It takes us almost as long to get into Coventry City centre and park. Leamington's a pretty town, feels good, has some great streets you can walk around that are filled with restaurants, specialist shops, etc, etc - and life. Coventry doesn't have streets. It's a precinct ghetto in a sea of dead ends. How can Coventry compete with places like that? The city centre is such a mess, with no direction, no footfall, a complex arrangement of ringroad junctions and car parks.

I don't even think a large bullring style development could draw people back in.

[Jags]

I actually disagree, if a quality retail development did happen it needs to be somehow linked or be very accessible from the new station development and ikea and the lower precinct. That is why the best place for it would be the arcade, shelton sq. and hertford street/new union street. The people who own the barracks area, are on to a winner and could quite possible be onto something very lucrative if they do it properly/at all.

I was in the quadrant the other day and was suprised at the number of businesses that are actually there, there was a huge board with about 25 company names on it. All varied from solicitors to accountants and even a steel firm. The businesses obviously do well, because there was an aray of fantastic cars there, even a brand new ferrari.( i know its a bit of a shallow way of measuring success, but i was suprised to actually see one in coventry city centre,lol). The money is here but its just not being spent here, and that is a real shame.

[rottersclub]

I actually disagree, if a quality retail development did happen it needs to be somehow linked or be very accessible from the new station development and ikea and the lower precinct. That is why the best place for it would be the arcade, shelton sq. and hertford street/new union street. The people who own the barracks area, are on to a winner and could quite possible be onto something very lucrative if they do it properly/at all.


Why would the station link matter? People in Coventry don't shop in the city for a variety of reasons. Station access isn't one of them. The vast majority of people drive into Coventry to shop.

IKEA may be bad for Coventry. The chaos it _could_ cause, and the meddling with the ringroad junctions and restrictions of traffic may well drive some people away - people who already regularly shop there. The people who come into Coventry to shop at IKEA won't go in the rest of the centre. So we may end up with a busy IKEA and an even deader precinct.

I think the problem is Coventry's retail footprint is equivalent to that of a town of about 50,000 people. A huge number of people use the out of town shopping areas or other towns that offer the stuff Coventry doesn't, and are easier to get to and park in. They're also far nicer environments. Sticking a huge shiny shopping mall on the Barracks car park is just turd polishing. The place still has the terrible ringroad, still has the manky precinct, and still looks depressing.

[rottersclub]

Welcome to Yesterday, population: that of Coventry.

http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_headline=starbucks-coming-to-the-city-centre%26method=full%26objectid=18825635%26siteid=50003-name_page.html

[Jags]

Why would the station link matter? People in Coventry don't shop in the city for a variety of reasons. Station access isn't one of them. The vast majority of people drive into Coventry to shop.

IKEA may be bad for Coventry. The chaos it _could_ cause, and the meddling with the ringroad junctions and restrictions of traffic may well drive some people away - people who already regularly shop there. The people who come into Coventry to shop at IKEA won't go in the rest of the centre. So we may end up with a busy IKEA and an even deader precinct.

I think the problem is Coventry's retail footprint is equivalent to that of a town of about 50,000 people. A huge number of people use the out of town shopping areas or other towns that offer the stuff Coventry doesn't, and are easier to get to and park in. They're also far nicer environments. Sticking a huge shiny shopping mall on the Barracks car park is just turd polishing. The place still has the terrible ringroad, still has the manky precinct, and still looks depressing.

Im not refering to the linkage to the train station itself, im refering to the actual area that is being developed around it. If it is going to create 15,000 jobs, these people will want to do some shopping before work, during lunch and after work. Therefore it is essential that it is easy accessible from the office. The prestige of this development coupled with a great retail centre is a must.

[Jags]

Welcome to Yesterday, population: that of Coventry.

http://iccoventry.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/tm_headline=starbucks-coming-to-the-city-centre%26method=full%26objectid=18825635%26siteid=50003-name_page.html

its about time we had one in the centre, leamington has 3, its a bloody joke were like 10years behind any other city.

[rottersclub]

Im not refering to the linkage to the train station itself, im refering to the actual area that is being developed around it. If it is going to create 15,000 jobs, these people will want to do some shopping before work, during lunch and after work. Therefore it is essential that it is easy accessible from the office. The prestige of this development coupled with a great retail centre is a must.

I think Friargate is more than likely a "business district" which will have its own retail facilities aimed at lunchtime shoppers. If they do attract 15,000 jobs, then there will be a huge market of office workers to tap, not to mention the people who go to Central Six, and the wealthy people who live in the Southern suburbs like Earlsdon and Stivichal. I suspect Friargate would be more popular with retailers than the city centre!

[rottersclub]

its about time we had one in the centre, leamington has 3, its a bloody joke were like 10years behind any other city.

Even small towns have Starbucks these days - and Costa, Nero, Cafe Republic, etc, etc.

[Scazmattaz]

Well to be honest why are we complaining that it has taken them so long to introduce a Starbucks? - A lot of big towns have not had one for a long time after everywhere else did - Luton only just got a Costa last year, and doesn't have a starbucks - yet it is comparable to Coventry in average wealth terms as there are a lot of wealthy commuters there, as well as much less-wealthy labourers.

All im saying is lets be more optimistic and this is a '''progression''' (not that i ever ever venture into a coffee shop).

Starbucks will need a change-of-use planning application and this has STILL not been submitted so they had better get their act together.

[rottersclub]

Well to be honest why are we complaining that it has taken them so long to introduce a Starbucks? - A lot of big towns have not had one for a long time after everywhere else did - Luton only just got a Costa last year, and doesn't have a starbucks - yet it is comparable to Coventry in average wealth terms as there are a lot of wealthy commuters there, as well as much less-wealthy labourers.

All im saying is lets be more optimistic and this is a '''progression''' (not that i ever ever venture into a coffee shop).

Starbucks will need a change-of-use planning application and this has STILL not been submitted so they had better get their act together.

Won't they only need a change of use if they're doing food?

[Scazmattaz]

Coffee is food, plus think how much food stuff Starbucks have!!! Sandwichs, cake, cookies, everything...

[Jags]

just found this on the net.

Radisson Edwardian Hotels (REH) has announced that it will open a brand new, four-star deluxe property in Coventry in May 2009. It will be the city's first downtown luxury hotel in 50 years, and the company's second hotel outside of the London area. Coventry is located just over an hour by train from London, and 13 miles from Birmingham's International Airport.

Radisson Edwardian has entered into an agreement with Oakmoor Deeley Partnership to develop the hotel. The total cost for the mixed-scheme complex, including the new hotel, in Coventry's landmark Belgrade Plaza development is estimated at £140 million (US$275 million).

Belgrade Plaza is Coventry's largest and most exciting mixed-use complex, encompassing hotels, restaurants, bars, a new 30,000-square-foot casino, offices and residences. It is adjacent to the Belgrade Theater, currently undergoing a £10 million ($20 million) refurbishment. A new 1,100-space car park has just opened on the site.

The 183-room Radisson Edwardian Coventry hotel will feature 121 standard rooms, 55 deluxe rooms, five junior suites and two Presidential Suites. The property will feature comprehensive facilities, including a full-service restaurant, lounge bar and lounge. A luxury Health Club and Spa will include a swimming pool, four treatment rooms and a fully-equipped fitness center.

Conference and banquet facilities will encompass 13,500 square feet of space, including 10 versatile meeting rooms and a banquet/conference room (5,300 square feet).

Jasminder Singh, Founder & Chairman of REH, comments: 'As our first venture in the Midlands, we are delighted to be opening a new hotel in Coventry. Coventry has great potential and is the ideal location to serve the region. We are working closely with Oakmoor Deeley Partnership and the Coventry City Council to ensure that the project is a tremendous success.'

I didnt realise it was going to have a swimming pool, thats great news, Radisson gym facilities are great aswell. But more interestingly, it should be open in May 2009. Hopefully this is a full completion date for the project.

[Jags]

Coffee is food, plus think how much food stuff Starbucks have!!! Sandwichs, cake, cookies, everything...
But remember they arent opening for 3 months yet, so they have plenty of time to get the change of use in. Im sure the council will probably fast track it anyway because an international company want to open in the city.

[Dr Pepper]

I didnt realise it was going to have a swimming pool, thats great news, Radisson gym facilities are great aswell. But more interestingly, it should be open in May 2009. Hopefully this is a full completion date for the project.

An opening date of May 2009 means a build and fitting out time of about two years. On a project of this size it should mean they start building any time now.

[Jags]

An opening date of May 2009 means a build and fitting out time of about two years. On a project of this size it should mean they start building any time now.

i hope so, its been in the pipeline for about 4 years now and nothing has really happened. They have 3 out of 7 units filled, all hotels taken, all flats sold, but they have office space that needs occupation as far as im aware. They also had a stall at the confex exhibition to promote their conferencing facilities.

[Jags]

Modus is set to buy a large chunk of Coventry’s main shopping area for redevelopment. Modus is understood to be in advanced talks with Prupim to buy its West Orchards shopping centre.

Sounds good, again i will get the full article when i can, or if someone else has access to property week then they can post it.

[inspired]

Modus is set to buy a large chunk of Coventry’s main shopping area for redevelopment. Modus is understood to be in advanced talks with Prupim to buy its West Orchards shopping centre.

Sounds good, again i will get the full article when i can, or if someone else has access to property week then they can post it.


sounds good esp the 'redevelopment' bit, i look forward to the full article being pasted

[Jags]

Modus to rebuild Coventry

Modus is set to buy a large chunk of Coventry’s main shopping area for redevelopment. Modus is understood to be in advanced talks with Prupim to buy its West Orchards shopping centre.


30.03.2007

It is thought to be paying around £65m and has beaten Howard Holdings, among other bidders.

The shopping centre in Smithford Way makes up one arm of the city centre’s retail area that creates an intersection in the city centre.

Coventry’s top retail rents are around £170 zone A. An in-town multi-level Ikea store is due to open in the summer, comprising 230,000 sq ft (21,368 sq m) over six levels.

modus is well known for regenerating and redeveloping urban shopping areas such as Wakefield, Newport and Wigan, which opened last week.

West Orchards’ owner, Prupim, is selling the centre in addition to other retail properties, including the Mander Centre in Wolverhampton, which will be sold for around £150m.

Strutt & Parker is advising Modus; CB Richard Ellis is advising Prupim. None of the parties would comment on the purchase or on future plans.

[rottersclub]

The application for the Butts Development appears to have gone in:

http://planning.coventry.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=669895

Another big mixed development - apartments, offices, bars & restaurants, etc. And theatre!

[rottersclub]

Application for some of Friargate seems to have gone in:

http://planning.coventry.gov.uk/portal/servlets/ApplicationSearchServlet?PKID=669995

The new system is rubbish. It doesn't work. I've e-mailed about this a while back, but they seem to have done nothing to fix it.

[Jags]

from reading the description, it seems that the application is for only one building. I thought the first phase was going to cover the whole area thats been cleared?

[rottersclub]

from reading the description, it seems that the application is for only one building. I thought the first phase was going to cover the whole area thats been cleared?

We'll have to wait and see - they'll put the documents up soon, I should imagine.

[Jags]

For something which is supposed to be completed by 2010, it is moving pretty slow dont you think?

[rottersclub]

For something which is supposed to be completed by 2010, it is moving pretty slow dont you think?

Aye, but then again, there's no sign of:

Victoria Buildings
Butts Apartments
Friar's Road

Starting yet. These all have permission. I guess if they want Friargate done quickly, they will get it done quickly.


And what's "The Pillar Box"? I was in town briefly today, and spotted that the building around the post office on Hertford Street is now called "The Pillar Box"!?!?

[Jags]

the pillar box is the post office and the space above it, cov uni has bought the whole building and converted the back into a day centre for childern and upstairs is accomodation for its students who are young mothers i think. The post office is leasing back its premesis from the uni.

[sleslie48]

The uni will own all of coventry soon

[rottersclub]

the pillar box is the post office and the space above it, cov uni has bought the whole building and converted the back into a day centre for childern and upstairs is accomodation for its students who are young mothers i think. The post office is leasing back its premesis from the uni.

Ah, great. This was supposed to be apartments/bars originally. Another student development. No wonder the city centre is dead.

[sleslie48]

lame lame lame lame lame

I might just save myself the bother and frustration and just set my computer to reply to posts with that everytime

[rottersclub]

lame lame lame lame lame

I might just save myself the bother and frustration and just set my computer to reply to posts with that everytime

Just move somewhere else. Honestly, there's no point staying in Coventry if you don't like it, and can't see that it's going to improve. Coventry's never going to have the varied culture of other cities - it's population is way, way predominantly made up people in the lowest social banding, so there's no market for most things. This has been its problem for 50 years. Graduates and skilled folk don't stay and live here - the housing doesn't exist, and where it does exist, it's such a small part of the city that the prices are too high.

There'll never be any sort of variety here - this is why the council wanted to expand by 100,000 people.

It's not going to happen - people will just want to live in Warwickshire. Not in apartment blocks next to flyovers. Or in apartment blocks next to places like Stoke Aldermoor or Hillfields.

Coventry specialised too much in low skilled industries that paid well - and ended up with highly paid people who didn't want anything cultural or non-mainstream. Places like Leamington existed for the small percentage of folk who wanted non-mainstream goods. There are reasons why Coventry's got such a shit shopping centre, shit nightlife and virtually no culture.

It's not something that can be reversed or fixed easily. When a company of 200 people in Coventry only actually employs perhaps 10% of its staff from the city itself, you know there are huge problems.

[BobbyB]

Just move somewhere else. Honestly, there's no point staying in Coventry if you don't like it, and can't see that it's going to improve. Coventry's never going to have the varied culture of other cities - it's population is way, way predominantly made up people in the lowest social banding, so there's no market for most things. This has been its problem for 50 years. Graduates and skilled folk don't stay and live here - the housing doesn't exist, and where it does exist, it's such a small part of the city that the prices are too high.

There'll never be any sort of variety here - this is why the council wanted to expand by 100,000 people.

It's not going to happen - people will just want to live in Warwickshire. Not in apartment blocks next to flyovers. Or in apartment blocks next to places like Stoke Aldermoor or Hillfields.

Coventry specialised too much in low skilled industries that paid well - and ended up with highly paid people who didn't want anything cultural or non-mainstream. Places like Leamington existed for the small percentage of folk who wanted non-mainstream goods. There are reasons why Coventry's got such a shit shopping centre, shit nightlife and virtually no culture.

It's not something that can be reversed or fixed easily. When a company of 200 people in Coventry only actually employs perhaps 10% of its staff from the city itself, you know there are huge problems.

Lifes to short to spend most of it living in a city as woeful as Coventry.
Do yourself a big big favour and move away!!!You will make yourself ill living in this so called shit shit shit place.

[BobbyB]

I agree with many of the comments regarding the issues that Coventry has.
Shopping centre,cultural issues etc etc.When some of the comments regarding the place and people who live become so derogatory and insulting .i think that certain posters should definately relocate to a town /city where they will find the balance of life that they so crave.
Change can sometimes seem painfully slow in this city ,but change is happening .Coventry is not Leamington ,Cheltenham or Leeds.It has it,s own uniquie identity for better or worse.
Developments have changed the City over the past 10years .The Ricoh is an excellent sportting and conference arena which is developing further.Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey have brought success to the city with all their perfomances.Coventry Rugby have a decent facility which is in line for expansion.The transportsport museum is a great facilty along with the soon to be expanded Herbert and Belgrade Theatre.
All the other projects in the pipeline can only hopefully improve what the city has to offer.
I do agree that there are many downside issues associated with the city (Shopping,Ringroad,Concrete tower blocks).
I think this forum provides great info on what is, and what may be happening and i do enjoy some of the posts.
Think cup half full and not half empty.
Those who realy do despise this city should really look to relocate ,as i have said change can be slow and life,s too short to suffer these feeling of hoplessness that living in Coventry seems to bring out.

[kash]

helo all,been observer for a while,just learned from lad how to use system. been to see ikea development in town,does anyone know what the finished height will be.

[Scazmattaz]

It'll be 6 stories i think (correct me if im wrong) which'll be about 5-6m high each. 5-6m x 6 = around 30m, and theres cladding on top which probably increases the height by a few metres.

[sleslie48]

Originally and last I heard it was going to be 7 stories, but I could be wrong, it may have changed since then. It's big whatever it is!

[rottersclub]

I agree with many of the comments regarding the issues that Coventry has.
Shopping centre,cultural issues etc etc.When some of the comments regarding the place and people who live become so derogatory and insulting .i think that certain posters should definately relocate to a town /city where they will find the balance of life that they so crave.
Change can sometimes seem painfully slow in this city ,but change is happening .Coventry is not Leamington ,Cheltenham or Leeds.It has it,s own uniquie identity for better or worse.
Developments have changed the City over the past 10years .The Ricoh is an excellent sportting and conference arena which is developing further.Coventry Blaze Ice Hockey have brought success to the city with all their perfomances.Coventry Rugby have a decent facility which is in line for expansion.The transportsport museum is a great facilty along with the soon to be expanded Herbert and Belgrade Theatre.
All the other projects in the pipeline can only hopefully improve what the city has to offer.
I do agree that there are many downside issues associated with the city (Shopping,Ringroad,Concrete tower blocks).
I think this forum provides great info on what is, and what may be happening and i do enjoy some of the posts.
Think cup half full and not half empty.
Those who realy do despise this city should really look to relocate ,as i have said change can be slow and life,s too short to suffer these feeling of hoplessness that living in Coventry seems to bring out.

After 4 years here in the early 90s and 8 years here since the late 1990s, my glass emptied years ago.

[Jags]

Yep, im also looking at moving out of coventry now, there arent any decent jobs, theres no decent nightlife, no great restaurants, no venues, poor retail. Im actually looking at leamington or warwick town, much nicer areas, withe everything i need there.

Just thought i would put this link in here http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/environment/planning/the-swanswell-initiative/
maybe we could all leave some comments on the contact details on the page and really make a fuss about it, maybe they would reconsider (a long shot i know, but still worth a try).

[rottersclub]

Originally and last I heard it was going to be 7 stories, but I could be wrong, it may have changed since then. It's big whatever it is!

I think it was "lowered" due the position it was being built - originally, it was on top of a culverted river, but it's been moved so isn't. Which means it's lower.

Yes, it's huge.

Are they clearing the site for Belgrade Plaza?

I also read that Victoria Buldings is expected to be finished by the end of they year!!!

[rottersclub]

Lifes to short to spend most of it living in a city as woeful as Coventry.
Do yourself a big big favour and move away!!!You will make yourself ill living in this so called shit shit shit place.

Yeah, don't worry, I intend to!

[jonbon88]

i really dont agree that coventry is shit, personally i cant wait to move bak affter finishing at uni in 3 years time. and the prospect of 15,000 new jobs is great.
i think hanging on is the best thing to do, great things are just around the corner

[rottersclub]

i really dont agree that coventry is shit, personally i cant wait to move bak affter finishing at uni in 3 years time. and the prospect of 15,000 new jobs is great.
i think hanging on is the best thing to do, great things are just around the corner

Assuming you can get a job in Coventry. Where/what are you studying?

Unfortunately, I've been here before with "great things around the corner." There wasn't. Okay, I'm being too harsh on the place. However, I don't think the place has fundamentally improved since 1989, when I first came here. (I left in 1992 and lived elsewhere for 5 years.)

Priory Place was supposed to be the "Next big thing". It's just become the next big dead empty space. Something that I find sad, as it's such a good development - even if they fucking ruined it. More broken fountains.

[sleslie48]

Yep, im also looking at moving out of coventry now, there arent any decent jobs, theres no decent nightlife, no great restaurants, no venues, poor retail. Im actually looking at leamington or warwick town, much nicer areas, withe everything i need there.

Just thought i would put this link in here http://www.coventry.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/environment/planning/the-swanswell-initiative/
maybe we could all leave some comments on the contact details on the page and really make a fuss about it, maybe they would reconsider (a long shot i know, but still worth a try).

I think we should. I was actually looking at that site earlier and reading the plan. A little quote from it:

"While all the basic urban structure options were capable of supporting at least some measure of regeneration in Swanswell, the assessment process pointed to a clear preference for Option 3. This is because Option 3:

• Has the potential to deliver all ten of the Swanswell Team’s priorities;

• Enables the achievement of each of the objectives of urban design;

• Its pros significantly outweigh its cons;

• Traffic implications were regarded as acceptable;

• Key infrastructure changes are technically feasible and not excessively costly;

• Is regarded as deliverable; and, in summary,

• Is the only one of the three options regarded as being capable of being the
basis for the transformation of Swanswell in line with the guiding vision for the
Masterplan."

They couldn't have put it better, so why the hell are they doing the opposite! AHHHH!

We need to do something.

I am actually putting together a proposal against Ironmonger Sqaure for one of my final uni projects. I'm going to meet the appropriate councillors and question them about it and present my case. Otherwise they will just get away with these things.

Going to get it up on the web when it's finished and support would be greatly appreciated.

Once I've done that I might do one for Swanswell

[jonbon88]

ironmonger sqaure does seem a wast of money, but some thing needs to be done.
maybe the AXA development will help revive the area. if not it all needs to go !

[sleslie48]

I have hope in the axa development, but hertford street to the burgess is a complete mess, the area needs a major rejuvination and should be the councils top priority, it's the centre of town, the place most people, especially tourists see. It should be a showcase area, not somewhere that everyone, (including the council I'm sure with cathedral lanes, and obviously the burgess) is ashamed of. People rely on using the war too much as an excuse. It is what it is now, and it's now in need of redevelopment as big, if not bigger that the post war rebuilding.

[rottersclub]

ironmonger sqaure does seem a wast of money, but some thing needs to be done.
maybe the AXA development will help revive the area. if not it all needs to go !

I think all things considered, the amount of money is peanuts - my main worry is that they tried this with that awful square where the Noodle Bar is - refurbished a tatty area, stuck a dreadful piece of art in it, and - well, it's not really improved much, and the cafes and restaurants didn't move in to the self styled "restaurant quarter". "Flames" opened up, but the owners complained about lack of trade and put it up for sale.

We need a council with the guts to stop polishing and start demolishing!

[rottersclub]

I have hope in the axa development, but hertford street to the burgess is a complete mess, the area needs a major rejuvination and should be the councils top priority, it's the centre of town, the place most people, especially tourists see. It should be a showcase area, not somewhere that everyone, (including the council I'm sure with cathedral lanes, and obviously the burgess) is ashamed of. People rely on using the war too much as an excuse. It is what it is now, and it's now in need of redevelopment as big, if not bigger that the post war rebuilding.

The biggest shame of that area is the medieval hospital at the bottom of the street - a rare example of a building of its type, and about 700 years old. Sitting derelict.Surely such a building could form a "feature" of that area, instead of looking rather tatty. Coventry destroyed so much of heritage after the war - the number of medieval buildings demolished to make way for the stuff they're already demolishing is quite tragic.

[jonbon88]

The biggest shame of that area is the medieval hospital at the bottom of the street - a rare example of a building of its type, and about 700 years old. Sitting derelict.Surely such a building could form a "feature" of that area, instead of looking rather tatty. Coventry destroyed so much of heritage after the war - the number of medieval buildings demolished to make way for the stuff they're already demolishing is quite tragic.

yes this is true however there are still some very lovley old building in the city just like the medieval hospital but the council seems to enjoy hiding them away, rather than useing tham as a focal piont. they have the beautifel old ruins of the cathedral that they went and hid behind an awful shopping center. i say demolish cathedral lines and bring the old and new cathedral back into the city center

[rottersclub]

yes this is true however there are still some very lovley old building in the city just like the medieval hospital but the council seems to enjoy hiding them away, rather than useing tham as a focal piont. they have the beautifel old ruins of the cathedral that they went and hid behind an awful shopping center. i say demolish cathedral lines and bring the old and new cathedral back into the city center

I actually think the land where Cathedral Lanes is stood should be built on. If it was left open, it would be just a dreary open space. I like the city to have alleyways and walkways. It's a shame they didn't plan something a bit better, or rebuilt the old librarby building, which looked far better than Cathedral Lanes. When it first opened up, the back of it was a glassed in cafe/deli, which never took off. That land was always planned to be built on - it just took 40 years for it to happen!

Oddly, the Gibson's original plan had some of the old buildings as "features" in new developments after the war. That seems to have been forgotten. Look at how:

Fords's Hospital
Cheylesmore Manor
Whitefriar's Abbey

Are all hidden away in bad locations.

I feel sorry for that old City Gate... Sitting up by the ringroad, with people passing through it. Ahhhh...

[jonbon88]

I actually think the land where Cathedral Lanes is stood should be built on. If it was left open, it would be just a dreary open space. I like the city to have alleyways and walkways. It's a shame they didn't plan something a bit better, or rebuilt the old librarby building, which looked far better than Cathedral Lanes. When it first opened up, the back of it was a glassed in cafe/deli, which never took off. That land was always planned to be built on - it just took 40 years for it to happen!

Oddly, the Gibson's original plan had some of the old buildings as "features" in new developments after the war. That seems to have been forgotten. Look at how:

Fords's Hospital
Cheylesmore Manor
Whitefriar's Abbey

Are all hidden away in bad locations.

I feel sorry for that old City Gate... Sitting up by the ringroad, with people passing through it. Ahhhh...

do u mean the swanswell gate, if so thought that area had been highlighted for redevelopment i think its in with the swanswell initative. it would be nice to see the old town gates highlighted more but it is nice how they have marked out where the old town wall used to run through the city center.

the swanswell initaitive could really help improve the area around the sorting office even if it does nothing else, is the sorting office supposed to be going as well ? if so could end up a nice area.

[jonbon88]

I actually think the land where Cathedral Lanes is stood should be built on. If it was left open, it would be just a dreary open space. I like the city to have alleyways and walkways. It's a shame they didn't plan something a bit better, or rebuilt the old librarby building, which looked far better than Cathedral Lanes. When it first opened up, the back of it was a glassed in cafe/deli, which never took off. That land was always planned to be built on - it just took 40 years for it to happen!

Oddly, the Gibson's original plan had some of the old buildings as "features" in new developments after the war. That seems to have been forgotten. Look at how:

Fords's Hospital
Cheylesmore Manor
Whitefriar's Abbey

Are all hidden away in bad locations.

I feel sorry for that old City Gate... Sitting up by the ringroad, with people passing through it. Ahhhh...

do u mean the swanswell gate, if so thought that area had been highlighted for redevelopment i think its in with the swanswell initative. it would be nice to see the old town gates highlighted more but it is nice how they have marked out where the old town wall used to run through the city center.

the swanswell initaitive could really help improve the area around the sorting office even if it does nothing else, is the sorting office supposed to be going as well ? if so could end up a nice area.

[rottersclub]

do u mean the swanswell gate, if so thought that area had been highlighted for redevelopment i think its in with the swanswell initative. it would be nice to see the old town gates highlighted more but it is nice how they have marked out where the old town wall used to run through the city center.

the swanswell initaitive could really help improve the area around the sorting office even if it does nothing else, is the sorting office supposed to be going as well ? if so could end up a nice area.

What do you do with a 600 year old medieval gate, though? That's an interesting proposition to a town planner/architect. It's got no functional use, and most of them got torn down because they were a hindrance!

Poor thing, feel sorry for it. Quite fond of city gates, I am.

[jonbon88]

What do you do with a 600 year old medieval gate, though? That's an interesting proposition to a town planner/architect. It's got no functional use, and most of them got torn down because they were a hindrance!

Poor thing, feel sorry for it. Quite fond of city gates, I am.

well there a nice piece of old architecture you could use it as you would a statue or public piece of art. dont know how you would go about doing that though ?

[rottersclub]

well there a nice piece of old architecture you could use it as you would a statue or public piece of art. dont know how you would go about doing that though ?

Move it brick by brick to the new square behind Prmark!:)

Haven't got a clue... I'd hoped the bridge would make more people go up there, but I don't think it's really worked.

[sleslie48]

That area around the sorting office was part of the swanswell initiative, but dont know if it still is. It was earmarked "Pheonix Two". If the ring road went then that area would be a big part of the rejuvination and would link well with the rest of swanswell. Now the ring roads staying, it's still going to be out the way. They could rebuild or respecfully build new buildings around these gates so that they are a focal point, but not a hinderance. A genuine piece of public art that would enhance the area. That gates nice, if there was good buildings around it doesn't need a use, it's use is purely aesthetic.

Oh yes the sorting office is meant to be going. Yey! Unless they make it into a car park.

At least if they'd done what gibson wanted, it would be a unified, logical plan, that respected the heritage, or at least some of it.

[sleslie48]

oh and I agree, cathedral lanes should be built on, not a park, but a lot better than whats there now. I'd like to see the original layout of broadgate implemented. Would have a much better flow of people and traffic.

[jonbon88]

oh and I agree, cathedral lanes should be built on, not a park, but a lot better than whats there now. I'd like to see the original layout of broadgate implemented. Would have a much better flow of people and traffic.

yes there should be something their but it needs to flow better and not block off the cathedral.
also seems like the city center is getting busy during the day now, and its not just people shopping, i walked through town on the way from the train station and it had a proper city feeling, even priory place had people around.
maybe these city squares have a purpose after all !!

[rottersclub]

yes there should be something their but it needs to flow better and not block off the cathedral.
also seems like the city center is getting busy during the day now, and its not just people shopping, i walked through town on the way from the train station and it had a proper city feeling, even priory place had people around.
maybe these city squares have a purpose after all !!

Weather is getting better... During winter, priory place is depressing mid week (Both daytime and evening.) I think is the first summer it's all been fitted out with full units.

My China is good. So is Flamingo, apart from the dreadful service. Never been to Prague.

I just wish they could have smashed the horrible hotel and continued the development that way, and made it even more urban in character.

[jonbon88]

ok im confused about the friarsgate and park court thing, because when i walked past today they have put new boreds and things up advertising the park court development. seems a little odd
maybe park court is going to be intergrated into the friarsgate plan, i just dont know.
can any one help ?

[inspired]

planning application is going in today for county hall to be converted into apartments and bar

[BobbyB]

Any movement/Building works on the following projects:

Millenium View

Belgrade Plaza

[ccfc-4-life]

/\/\ not sure

i thought millenium view was cancelled? lol

Phase 2 of Belgrade Plaza should be started any time now, we shall have to wait and see...

[rottersclub]

ok im confused about the friarsgate and park court thing, because when i walked past today they have put new boreds and things up advertising the park court development. seems a little odd
maybe park court is going to be intergrated into the friarsgate plan, i just dont know.
can any one help ?

Park Court is gone... Those boards have been up for months, since last year, when Park Court was happening.

[rottersclub]

/\/\ not sure

i thought millenium view was cancelled? lol

Phase 2 of Belgrade Plaza should be started any time now, we shall have to wait and see...

No, Millennium view is going ahead - ten storey building as well, with a fair chunk of retail space as part of it. One of the Coventry threads has a link to the pdf of the desisgn.

[jonbon88]

No, Millennium view is going ahead - ten storey building as well, with a fair chunk of retail space as part of it. One of the Coventry threads has a link to the pdf of the desisgn.

i hope they get some good stores in millennium view. trinity street need a boost to its retail, it just seems to be a endless line of cheap newsagents and charity shops. trinity street could make a good shopping street if it began to attract a wider range of stores,

[Scazmattaz]

I like the look of that designer store at the bottom of the Burges on the opposite corner of the future AXA development. Now thats an independant shop that im sure MartinN would approve of.

[rottersclub]

I like the look of that designer store at the bottom of the Burges on the opposite corner of the future AXA development. Now thats an independant shop that im sure MartinN would approve of.

Kong? It's closing down, I've heard. Been there for year, was there when I was a student - had a record store above it that sold rare LPs and singles... Can't remember what it was called, but I spent a lot of time in there spending money!

I notice the objections are pouring in for the Butts Development.

I just wish the council will sort out that stupid Trapeze system! It just don't bloody work!

[Scazmattaz]

..