Official Coventry Thread 4

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by CovAD

Does anyone else find it difficult to keep up to date with the huge number of different reports the council churns out on redevelopment and what they all refer to exactly.

We've had the Local Development Framework, the Action Plan, the Core Strategy, The Urban Design Framework and probably some others I never even found out about.

What exactly do they all do, as many just seen to go over the same ground as in the others? Are some superceding others? It's all unbelievably messy and unclear and it's hardly surprising few people respond given the difficulties just in finding out about the stuff.

I sent in a few suggestions etc for a few of them but have never seen a document with the responses for each and what changes will be made, or e-mailed a link by the council.

And that's before I even start on the planning portal....

It all started with the CDP (Coventry Development Plan in the late 1990s) - since then the CDP has evolved into a different strategy document.

Friargate, for example, was mooted in the CDP - except it was just a "wish" to have a gateway development at the station.

[We-Are-Borg-1987]

I'm glad that wish is becoming reality! Speaking of which, does anyone know when the initial works for Friargate will start? I know I have read that the work on the ringroad will start in 2010, and funding has been secured, but does anyone know when in 2010?

I believe the Ironmonger Square project is due to be completed by january the 19th or something like that, from the look of it I'm sure it will be done on time. I'm not trying to re-open the debate about it (at least not until its finished, lol) I'm just pointing out that it will be the first project to finish in 2010 that we will have to look forward too (or I will anyway, lol!)

I think not long after Ironmonger the new uni car park will be nearing completion.

Does anyone know if the houses they are building in Stoke on the former Peugeot plant have re-started yet? Maybe the developer will wait a bit longer before the next phase. I know house prices are going up, but only fractionally so. I reckon lots of developers will wait until about 2011 before building gets anywhere near pre credit crunch levels.

[LifeOnMarsBar]

...looks like Paragon Park plans will be resubmitted 17th Dec - scaled down due to EMR not relocating

...Coventry Airport has closed today

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by LifeOnMarsBar

...looks like Paragon Park plans will be resubmitted 17th Dec - scaled down due to EMR not relocating

...Coventry Airport has closed today

Thus endeth the saga of Coventry Airport. Shame - been there since 1936 and closed thanks to NIMBIES in Warwickshire.

Paragon Park is a real dead loss now.

[We-Are-Borg-1987]

Its a shame about Paragon park, but looking on the bright side, at least something is happening.

I've always thought the airport unviable given its proximity to Brum. Although I am baised against it as I have family near it and at the airports peak the planes flew ridiculously low! Just use Tollbar island and you will see what I mean! Lets not forget the plane crash in Willenhall, which I think was in the 80's?

[LifeOnMarsBar]

Originally Posted by NewTroll

Thus endeth the saga of Coventry Airport. Shame - been there since 1936 and closed thanks to NIMBIES in Warwickshire.

Paragon Park is a real dead loss now.

...i used to use Cov airport regularly to visit my girlfriend - she was working in Paris. It was so convenient, cheap and i hardly ever experienced any delays. I also used BHM airport regularly with my previous job and thought it was ok. It just seems so typical of Coventry - remember the Super Airport that was considered between Coventry and Rugby?

...i don't think i'd want to live near a metal recycling centre - i can't believe that the quality of the development can be maintained from this.

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by We-Are-Borg-1987

Its a shame about Paragon park, but looking on the bright side, at least something is happening.

I've always thought the airport unviable given its proximity to Brum. Although I am baised against it as I have family near it and at the airports peak the planes flew ridiculously low! Just use Tollbar island and you will see what I mean! Lets not forget the plane crash in Willenhall, which I think was in the 80's?

It wasn't unviable - it just tried to go down a passenger route rather than a cargo route, which probably was its niche.

Coventry Airport pre-dates Birmingham Airport.

[stig1982]

Originally Posted by We-Are-Borg-1987

Does anyone know if the houses they are building in Stoke on the former Peugeot plant have re-started yet? Maybe the developer will wait a bit longer before the next phase. I know house prices are going up, but only fractionally so. I reckon lots of developers will wait until about 2011 before building gets anywhere near pre credit crunch levels.

The boards on site say that work is due to start in early 2010, and there are signs of the infrastructure going in. Dozens of huge sewer pipes and such like are already starting to pile up, so I guess we can expect to see lots of digging soon, followed by foundations going in.

Should be a very impressive development when it's complete.

[NewTroll]

I'm currently reading a book about Spon End (Research for the novel. Um, a bit late, as I'm halfway through it.) It's interesting stuff. The whole area has changed so much. Spon Street was once a major route into the city and linked up with Gosford Street.

Coach operators were forced to drive through the centre of Coventry on the new London->Holyhead road as well - in order to get business. Even back then they understood the importance of passing trade:-)

It's a good book. Well worth a read.

[ccfc-4-life]

Originally Posted by LifeOnMarsBar

...Coventry Airport has closed today

It's all going as previously planned, more or less. Watch this space for a major announcement next year...

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by ccfc-4-life

It's all going as previously planned, more or less. Watch this space for a major announcement next year...

I suspect there's either someone waiting in the wings to get it cheap... or it's a "pre-packaged" administration type of thing.

It seems odd to just suddenly close it like that.

[ccfc-4-life]

Originally Posted by NewTroll

I suspect there's either someone waiting in the wings to get it cheap... or it's a "pre-packaged" administration type of thing.

It seems odd to just suddenly close it like that.

Close.

Can't give too much away but...I know something you dont know

EDIT: Na na na naa naaa!

[MyLeftFoot]

Originally Posted by We-Are-Borg-1987

....Although I am baised against it [Coventry Airport] as I have family near it and at the airports peak the planes flew ridiculously low! Just use Tollbar island and you will see what I mean! Lets not forget the plane crash in Willenhall, which I think was in the 80's?

You and your family should have complained to the Estate Agents who obviously missold you the property: they must have stated that planes do not land on runways, and that the only planes that can possibly use Coventry Airport are small single engine bi-planes.

Or, alternatively, I'm guessing that your family moved to the premises by choice assuming that the airport would only ever have such aircraft, and thinking that the airport management would never in a million years think about bringing in new business??? Bit stupid to think that if you ask me, and to be honest seems very much the way that British society is going: blame somebody else, when people should be accountable for their own decisions. Sartre truly was right when quoting "l'enfer, c'est les autres".

Coventry Airport was permitted to fly whatever aircraft it wanted (that could land on the 6,000ft runway, and that were permitted in the EU). Christ, it had 4 engine Boeing 707s operating in the 80s, Schreiner Air Cargo have even operated widebodied Airbus A300s back in 2000 I think, and I find it somewhat ironic that you refer to the Willenhall crash of 1994, when that Air Algerie aircraft was a Boeing 737-200....i.e. a (much much noisier) predecessor to the 737-300s and 737-500s that were used by Thomson, not forgetting also the 737-300 that Air Atlantique took delivery of in March this year.

Going by what you say, we should also close [one of the runways at] Heathrow Airport....remember January 2008 when the BA 777 only just got over the northern perimeter road. Birmingham should also be closed: the planes for there fly low over the A45 in order to land on the runway. The TNT emergency landing there a couple of years ago could have been even more catastrophic if further damage had been sustained to the aircraft following its initial attempt at landing at EMA. Furthermore at the northern end of the BHX runway are a number of houses, and a school...imagine what would have happened had that BizJet got more airborne before catastrophe back in December 2001 What about East Midlands Airport: planes come over the M1 plus an A road very low before landing. I would also strongly advise you to never go to St Maarten!!!! If the PSZs at Coventry Airport contravened any laws then the CAA would have closed it down decades ago!

[NewTroll]

Originally Posted by ccfc-4-life

Close.

Can't give too much away but...I know something you dont know

EDIT: Na na na naa naaa!

According to the news, there are 400 people working there. Hopefully something will announced very soon...

Let's hope it continues as an airport.

[U475 Foxtrot]

Originally Posted by ccfc-4-life

Close.

Can't give too much away but...I know something you dont know

EDIT: Na na na naa naaa!

Is the Airport likely to remain an airport then? Will the Airport will revert back to the Council ownership?

[MyLeftFoot]

Unfortunately I can see this seemingly very short sighted council turning the airport in to industrial units. Well, when I say industrial units I mean a site akin to what was the former Peugeot factory at Ryton: a huge expanse of wasteland with bugger all happening there. I sincerely hope I'm wrong.

Building houses would be completely pointless: with the job losses at Ericsson, still some impact from Peugeot job losses as well as now 400 airport jobs, plus other jobs where companies were linked to the airport going, who will be able to afford to buy new housing. Furthermore, who would want to live in a city where there are continual job losses.

I used to think that Coventry Airport would have been the answer to Birmingham's second runway issue, in any event I cannot see any way that BHX will want to buy it: they have enough problems to worry about down there as it is.

The one company that I would dearly love to see come in and do a job at the airport would be Stobart. Christ, if they bought Carlisle and Southend for upwards of £20 million each respectively, then Coventry would be a bargain: particularly bearing in mind all the work that needs to be done to those two airports, as well as bearing in mind the road infrastructure around those two compared to CVT. It was mentioned on other forums that the Stobart executive jet had been in to CVT a few times this year. If I was Coventry City Council, I would seriously be looking at enticing them, try killing two birds with one stone and offer a huge warehouse facility on the site where Peugeot was. Would also benefit Stobart with the Daventry rail freight terminal just down the road. I would also suspect that Stobart could possibly go in to some kind of mutually beneficial partnership with West Atlantic in order to solidly launch Stobart Air.

[U475 Foxtrot]

Just been searching around on the net and it does sound like that the lease will go back to the Council.

Don't know if there's any truth in this http://www.pprune.org/airlines-airpo...ml#post5354109

From the sound of it it needs investment in industrial units and office space and hangarage linked to the Cargo and GA industry. An astute management team with a focus on Cargo, Air taxi & Pilot training rather than Low cost passenger services is the answer.

.

[ccfc-4-life]

The airport will still be an airport in 5 years time...at the very least.

[NewTroll]

Cov Airport made a mistake going with passenger flights.

Anyway, today I went to Cosmo in town for lunch. Very, very impressed with the place inside. Very busy as well. Nice food, although to be honest, I'm a huge fan of buffets. It just seems very strange being somewhere so nice inside when outside it's a dump.

Belgrade Plaza feels very good as well now it has two restaurants open. Makes it seem a bit more alive...

[inspired]

Originally Posted by NewTroll

Cov Airport made a mistake going with passenger flights.

Anyway, today I went to Cosmo in town for lunch. Very, very impressed with the place inside. Very busy as well. Nice food, although to be honest, I'm a huge fan of buffets. It just seems very strange being somewhere so nice inside when outside it's a dump.

Belgrade Plaza feels very good as well now it has two restaurants open. Makes it seem a bit more alive...

yes i liked the variety of dishes they had, better than a standard Chinese buffet, although the food wasn't as hot as i would have liked it. It was pretty warm.