Here you go, Stig!
This thread was created for stig1982 who promises to put some stuff here soon...
This thread was created for stig1982 who promises to put some stuff here soon...
I can't think of anything lacking architectural merit more than a mock tudor timber frame building.The white 'corner' building occupied by Bytes PCs is the site where they propose to demolish the building and install a timber framed building, more in keeping with the buildings along that particular stretch.
Personally I think that's a great idea. The existing building has no architectural merit and IMHO a modern glass/steel building would just look wrong.
The plans for the residential development behind the Hand & Heart were submitted years ago. The Hand & Heart itself has been closed for about 6 years, I am sure the residential plans it were seeking permission to have it demolished.
The plans were on the planning portal, and involved squeezing houses in the land behind the H&H. The H&H was going to be converted into student flats, I believe - which is a shame, as the place used to be a decent music venue years back.
I doubt there's much demand for retail in FGS, given the empty new unit and the other empty stores, some of which have been empty since the 1980s - I certainly think it's a waste of public money to install a lot of new frames and frontages for what amounts to cheap fast food joints, sex shops, and second hand stores. In the same way I thought it was a waste of money to lay new paving on Spon Street when the street doesn't really have the businesses that deserve it.While I think a lot of the stuff on Gosford St is rubbish, if the Council decide to serve CPOs on all those shops who don't comply, what will happen to the empty units? Will the Council pay to have the shop fronts replaced or wait for new tenants to do it?
I think this is all a bit of a pipe dream, to be honest. Whilst I'd love it to become a "camden town" style cosmopolitan place, I doubt very much it's the right place for it. The Butts has more chance of being like that. Although personally I don't think Coventry is really the sort of town where that stuff will happen.
The best you'd get on FGS is a cheap supermarket, some social housing and offices for the Cyrenians and more branches of Subway.
I agree. The problem is that people always use the crap done in the 1960s as an example - that stuff was done cheaply and often very quickly.I don't share your views on steel glass - there are great examples all over the country of steel and glass fitting with different period architecture.
No, the reason it's full of these places is because that's what the people who live in that area want.i sometimes struggle to understand the mentality of some people.
we all agree that FGS is a mess. the idea that money should not be spent because the place is full of downmarket shops and fast food outlets doesn't make sense to me. the reason that it is full of these places is precisely because it is such a mess - and unless the improvements are made that will never change.
Stig has already said the council will have grants to redo all the frontages - that's taxpayer's money.build it and they will come? maybe, but it has to be worth it surely? i don't recall ever hearing that large amounts of taxpayers money will be ploughed into this, and even if it was i wouldn't object in the slightest.
I don't think it's a "lost cause", but remember the street being done up on at least one occasion in the past. Throwing money at places just isn't the answer if it's going to slide back to where it was beforehand.it seems to me that some regard FGS as a lost cause, and i find this deeply disheartening, especially in a forum such as this. we might as well just give up. from what i can tell, the proposals seem well thought out and realistic; and the people behind them have a pretty damn good track record in this city in my opinion.
I haven't poured scorn on the proposals, as I haven't seen them. I am just of the opinion that the area needs far more than a bit of tarting up in order for it to work.to complain about coventry and what its lacking, but then to pour scorn on proposals to improve matters is pretty pointless.
The area needs a change of population if they're going to turn it into a "Camden Town" type of place. It doesn't matter how much we want the area to become like this, or how much the council want it or how much this Ian Harrabin chap wants it - if there's no demand for it, it won't happen. We'll just end up with some junk food stores with nice frontages.FGS needs a coherent development plan - to not do that and to just allow random, piecemeal developments that do not follow a defined set of parameters would be silly and would not improve matters in the slightest.
I've not seen them yet.i'm fully behind these proposals, everything i've been told of them seems to make sense. i very much hope they happen.