Coventry Swanswell Initiative

[rottersclub]

Originally Posted by Scazmattaz

West Orchards redevelopment ring any bells?

This might extend to The Burges and Belgrade Plaza.

"Mythical" redevelopment?

[Dr Pepper]

Originally Posted by rottersclub

Aye, it's not worth worrying about it. It's been done.

What could the old grammar school become??!?

Problems:

a) Location - undesirable/grotty part of the city centre (Maybe the office development will sort that out.)
b) Size - small building with very room for facilities.
c) Cost - cost a fortune to renovate and no doubt run.
d) Lack of parking nearby? (Perhaps a problem.)

It'd be nice for it to be turned into a restaurant. Wagamamma or Belgo maybe... (Do Belgo still exist?)

First person who says "Museum" gets smacked!

I think is/was to be included as part of Phoenix Initiative phase 2. Either way lets hope it happens soon.

[Chris H]

When the original Phoenix Initiative was coming to a close (and when vague murmurings of an eventual successor project were in the air), I contacted the Phoenix Project Manager (another 'Chris' if I remember) and mentioned the integration of the Old Grammar School within any future redevelopment/regeneration plans in this city zone. I remember him mentioning that a regenerated school would probably feature in 'Phoenix 2' plus development from the Burges up to the Royal Mail sortation office.

Obviously, nowt came of this and nothing was mentioned as to a specfic future use for this lovely (and very old) building, which has amazingly been left to rot for the last 20 years. Whoever takes this building on will need to respect the fact that it is many centuries old and cannot be architecturally butchered for the sake of a quick buck. Surely this building is protected against shoddy development by the planners ? I've always favoured a large plaza here, with the Old Grammar school a cornerstone building leading towards Priory Place. Much of the lower Burges could be completely cleared, as could many of the dismal shacks leading up to the sorting office. This would create a decent-sized space for a proper plaza, not some cheap and nasty city square without style or function.

If it were'nt for the ringroad, the entire length of the current Burges and the road leading to the RM building and then up to the Canal Basin would be ripe for a Bohemian-style boulevard full of cafes, classy bars and highly individual 'shoppes' with the Old Grammar school and it's adjacent plaza as it's centrepiece. It'll never happen of course, but we wait and wonder....

[Dr Pepper]

[Dr Pepper]

This school had a major fire a few months ago. The current plan is to fast track the school into becoming a city academy. In the meantime a large number of portakabins are being set up on site to use as teaching space.

[Chris H]

Pity about the Sidney Stringer comp going up like that. I remember as a teenager in the 80's that it was a tough inner city school populated by kids from underprivileged backgrounds, so it's sad when these things happen (to any school to be honest). I'm not surprised this school has been earmarked for conversion into a modern city academy.

[Dr Pepper]

These are some of the older original buildings on Primrose Hill St that was built connecting the old city of Coventry with the new suburb of Harnall, as Hillfields was originally known.

Behind these buildings are the new City College buildings and in front is Sidney Stringer school.

As far as I know all of these buildings with the exception of the old white cinema, currently a night club, will be demolished as they are in the middle of the Swanswell education area.






The old cinema was called The Globe Picture Theatre and looked like this:




There is an interesting article about the buildings history here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/coventry/conten..._feature.shtml

[Chris H]

If I remember rightly, this place became the Tic Toc Club in the late 80's and hosted some top bands. I saw The Mission play there once (I really should'nt admit to that.....)

[rottersclub]

Originally Posted by Chris H

If I remember rightly, this place became the Tic Toc Club in the late 80's and hosted some top bands. I saw The Mission play there once (I really should'nt admit to that.....)

What's wrong with The Mission?

I saw a few bands there, and when I was at Uni they had Marillion, Fish, and 70s Prog Rockers Uriah Heep!

They had a stuff on weekly. It's a real shame.

I hope they retain some frontages on that street, or even better, build it up on both sides.

[Chris H]

I was really into The Mission way back when, though Wayne Hussey was a bit of a pretencious pr*ck at times.... "I still believe in God, but God no longer believes in me", yeah, whatever Wayne.....

Cov Poly was also a good place to hear some up and coming bands, though as a venue it was pretty poor with crap sound quality. I once went to a Spear of Destiny gig there and nearly got my head kicked-in by some of their London following called 'The Wrecking Crew' who trashed the bar when someone could'nt get a pint of the right lager (or something like that). Being a traditional Midlands city, it was virtually all bitter, mild and cider on tap back then !!! Those soft southern sh*tes must've been horrified that Tizer did not exist in pint form 100 miles north of London.

Anyway, Coventry needs a good independent (ie, non-arena) music venue like this. The General Wolfe pub could also host some good gigs (I saw an early incarnation of Cov's famous 'Primitives' there around '87). Shame that all we get now is Bryan Adams and Bon Jovi... bloody 'ell, give me strength......

[sleslie48]

Yey, the colly! Many a good night spent in there! I would like to see those frontages remain, they're not really the problem. It would be good if it were built up on both sides. It would also be good if the ring road wasn't down the road and it was actually linked up with the centre! I know I know, they're getting rid of the junction! Yey (sarcastic!!)

[rottersclub]

Originally Posted by Chris H

I was really into The Mission way back when, though Wayne Hussey was a bit of a pretencious pr*ck at times.... "I still believe in God, but God no longer believes in me", yeah, whatever Wayne.....

Cov Poly was also a good place to hear some up and coming bands, though as a venue it was pretty poor with crap sound quality. I once went to a Spear of Destiny gig there and nearly got my head kicked-in by some of their London following called 'The Wrecking Crew' who trashed the bar when someone could'nt get a pint of the right lager (or something like that). Being a traditional Midlands city, it was virtually all bitter, mild and cider on tap back then !!! Those soft southern sh*tes must've been horrified that Tizer did not exist in pint form 100 miles north of London.

Anyway, Coventry needs a good independent (ie, non-arena) music venue like this. The General Wolfe pub could also host some good gigs (I saw an early incarnation of Cov's famous 'Primitives' there around '87). Shame that all we get now is Bryan Adams and Bon Jovi... bloody 'ell, give me strength......

Ha, I saw the Primitives in Burnley. Hussy is still a prick - I saw them in the late 1990s, and he was acting like he was Bono. Their later records were absolutely awful.

[kxv]

Originally Posted by Chris H

Pity about the Sidney Stringer comp going up like that. I remember as a teenager in the 80's that it was a tough inner city school populated by kids from underprivileged backgrounds, so it's sad when these things happen (to any school to be honest). I'm not surprised this school has been earmarked for conversion into a modern city academy.

Stringer is one the of top performing schools in Coventry in terms of the difference is makes to students between the time they join and the time they leave. [its called contextual value added]

I know that the reason why they're becoming an academy are because they are in desperate need of new buildings and the only way they are going to get those is through becoming a "Academy". [Government Politics ]

I just hope that new buildings are something special that children deserve - with some space and greenfields!

[sleslie48]

I wandered around the swanswell area today. It's really surprising how close to the centre of the city it is, but how seperate it is. Walking around today it was clear to me that, (I'm sorry to mention the ring road AGAIN) by keeping the ring road, this area will not improve drastically, yes taking away the junction will improve it, but not unite it with the centre, which is what is needed. There is so much wasted land around there, the ring road, the bus station and the bus depot ensure the failure of the area.

I took some photos from swanswell pool looking toward the churches. This area has so much potential but is cut off. I would have taken more photos but was very concerned about having my camera out, thats how bad it was.

The city college didn't look much different to the last photos Dr P took so I didn't bother risking my camera for that! At the moment, thats a bad location for the city college, the area really needs to improve or they are going to have problems.

The area also seems very seperate from both the canal and far gosford st, both just 5 mins or less away.

Hopefully these two photos show how much land there is wasted from this point to the cathedral.

Anyone know the latest on the hospital site? There are a few nice buildings there. They're all boarded up at the mo.

Also, it will be hard to spot on these photos but look hard, is st michaels tower leaning slightly to the right? When I was looking at it it seemed to be. I know they had to underpin it a long while ago.

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr

[rottersclub]

The Cathedral tower has been leaning for hundreds of years. There's a story that after the November 1940 bombing raid (The one in which the cathedral got hit) the soldiers sent in to demolish unsafe buildings were about to the demolish the cathedral tower as they'd noticed it was leaning - a passer by stopped them and told them it had been leaning for years! I imagine it's a myth, but quite a nice one.

[Dr Pepper]

Originally Posted by sleslie48

I wandered around the swanswell area today. It's really surprising how close to the centre of the city it is, but how seperate it is. Walking around today it was clear to me that, (I'm sorry to mention the ring road AGAIN) by keeping the ring road, this area will not improve drastically, yes taking away the junction will improve it, but not unite it with the centre, which is what is needed. There is so much wasted land around there, the ring road, the bus station and the bus depot ensure the failure of the area.

I took some photos from swanswell pool looking toward the churches. This area has so much potential but is cut off. I would have taken more photos but was very concerned about having my camera out, thats how bad it was.

The city college didn't look much different to the last photos Dr P took so I didn't bother risking my camera for that! At the moment, thats a bad location for the city college, the area really needs to improve or they are going to have problems.

The area also seems very seperate from both the canal and far gosford st, both just 5 mins or less away.

Hopefully these two photos show how much land there is wasted from this point to the cathedral.

Anyone know the latest on the hospital site? There are a few nice buildings there. They're all boarded up at the mo.

Also, it will be hard to spot on these photos but look hard, is st michaels tower leaning slightly to the right? When I was looking at it it seemed to be. I know they had to underpin it a long while ago.

That's the real problem of leaving the elevated duel carriageway, it is a huge visual barrier. Even removing the junction slipways will only create triangular shaped parcels of land that will have the ring road one side and a bus station or bus depot on the other. This land will have lower value and attract poor quality development even though it's so close to the centre - literally a stones throw from Priory Place and Coventry Transport Museum!

The boarded up buildings on the hospital site have been that way for a while. The pre-war buildings will be kept and all of the post-war demolished. I really hope the canal gets extended to new marina here.

[Chris H]

Originally Posted by Dr Pepper

That's the real problem of leaving the elevated duel carriageway, it is a huge visual barrier. Even removing the junction slipways will only create triangular shaped parcels of land that will have the ring road one side and a bus station or bus depot on the other. This land will have lower value and attract poor quality development even though it's so close to the centre - literally a stones throw from Priory Place and Coventry Transport Museum!

The boarded up buildings on the hospital site have been that way for a while. The pre-war buildings will be kept and all of the post-war demolished. I really hope the canal gets extended to new marina here.

I think the Marina development has been shelved, at least for the time-being. It was mentioned a few years back but was deemed too expensive to implement, as it would require the extension of the canal system by a few hundred metres and the substantial deepening of Swanswell Pool (which is actually only around three feet deep in the middle at its deepest... hardly the Marianas Trench !). This kind of large-scale engineering project would cost several £million and require much work around one one of the ringroad's main junctions, and would likely cause havoc for some time. An urban park was also mooted to accompany the marina. In the end, I believe it was deemed non-cost effective at the time, as such a project would not have attracted much of a return on the substantial investment required, and of course the ringroad issue remained.

Looking at how little has progressed in terms of an overall 'Swanswell Initiative' to date, they could probably see this lack of developmental desire coming. Where's the proposed Parisian-style boulevard ? Where are the proposed hoards of eco-houses ? The city college looks fine, but it's simply in the wrong place. Again, the ringroad is doing the damage around Swanswell, and if any one section could be lowered, it should be this one. It would attract investors and allow a natural link between Swanswell and the CBD. It may also trigger some kind of redevelopment of Pool Meadow... maybe I'm dreaming......

[Dr Pepper]

It's looking good in the sun. The Eco Houses are now almost complete.

[rottersclub]

That is looking good. I wish there was more stuff down there.

[Dr Pepper]

Well I had hoped for some sanity to break out in the planning dept but it now seems official that the bus depot will stay will us for the foreseeable future as this development plan from the BBC local site attests.