Delay hits Coventry's Bishop Gate plans

[dutchman]

A delay has hit the £50 million Bishop Gate plan to transform part of Coventry city centre

This latest artist’s impression of the Bishop Gate development shows an eye-catching view of it from the ring road* at night.

But work on the former Royal Mail sorting office in Bishop Street has been delayed while Barberry Developments confirm which supermarket chain will set up in the state-of-the-art complex.

Demolition work on the old building was scheduled to begin in December but is expected to be put back until the new year. The development will include a food superstore, gym and 585-space multi-storey car park.

While outline planning permission was granted in June, the developers must then prepare a more detailed proposal before Coventry City Council can give full planning consent.

A spokeswoman for Barberry Developers said: “The project is progressing really well and talks are ongoing with a number of supermarket operators. They still don’t know who they will go with though.”

Under the plans the footbridge over the ring road leading to the Canal Basin will be removed and replaced with a ground-level pedestrian crossing near the junction with Foleshill Road.

This aims to open up the layout of the city centre and make the Canal Basin more accessible. The spokeswoman for Barberry insisted there was no problems with the plans which councillors had hoped would revitalise that part of the city centre.

She added: “They are still in dialogue with supermarkets but at the moment but it is unclear when work will start.”

The Co-operative Bank in Birmingham agreed a seven-figure loan three months ago towards the funding of Barberry Developments’ revamp.

Hundreds of jobs will be created by the retail-led scheme.

When granting outline planning permission at the Council House, city councillor John McNicholas said he thought the building could be iconic for Coventry – comparing it with the bubbled Selfridges building in Birmingham.

*It's actually a view from the bottom of Bishop Street!

[dutchman]

Revised plans for £50m Bishop Gate scheme back before Coventry planners

Developers of a £50million superstore in Coventry have revised their plans – but have vowed to push ahead with the Bishop Gate scheme this year.

The long-awaited Bishop Gate development – which will overhaul the city’s derelict Royal Mail sorting office and surrounding buildings – will return to the city’s planning department.

But developers say ‘considerable positive progress’ has been made behind the scenes and they will be working with the council in 2012 to turn the plans into a reality.

Barberry Developments was granted outline planning permission early last year to transform a neglected part of the city – creating hundreds of jobs – with a new superstore, gym and leisure facilities, as well as a 585-space car park.

The plans also include boulevard-style pedestrianised zones, impressive landscaping, a 8,000 sq ft “green” roof, as well as new pedestrian crossing link to the Canal Basin, which will see the developers replace the current footbridge across the ring road.

Director Henry Bellfield said: “This is a large city centre project and therefore, by its very nature, it’s quite complicated.

“Considerable positive progress has been made behind the scenes and we have had lengthy negotiations with supermarket operators which have led to some minor operational amendments to the proposals.

“The principal operator with the Bishop Gate project will be a supermarket and we continue to make excellent progress with a number of the operators.

"It is extremely important that, at this stage, we spend time working with each of the operators to create the best possible store for them and their customers.

“By doing this we will create a development that the people of Coventry will enjoy using not just in the short term but also the long term.”

Mr Bellfield also welcomed the council’s plans for a £300million scheme to transform the south side of the city centre.

“It’s an exciting year for Coventry with the improvements already underway having a positive impact on visitors to the city,” he added.

“They are the perfect start to the big projects – City Centre South and our own Bishop Gate project which are to come. It is clear to see that the future for Coventry looks very bright indeed.”

Coun Linda Bigham, cabinet member for city development, said: “The Bishop Gate development is an important part of the transformation of our city centre so I am pleased that work is progressing and we can expect a detailed planning application soon.”

[dutchman]

New plan for £50m Bishop Gate development

ALTERNATIVE plans have been revealed for Coventry’s £50million Bishop Gate development.

Developers of the long-awaited scheme have drawn up a revised proposal for the site – almost two years after unveiling the original plans.

The scheme, which will overhaul the city’s derelict Royal Mail sorting office and surrounding buildings, was initially earmarked as a supermarket-led development which promised to bring hundreds of jobs to the city.

Original plans also included a gym and leisure facilities, as well as a 585-space car park.

But according to bosses at developers Barberry Developments, alternative proposals have now been drawn up after the scheme failed to attract a main supermarket chain.

The new proposals are now for a “mixed use” scheme which includes office facilities across two floors, as well as three retail units on the ground level.

Director Henry Bellfield said: “We found the supermarket sector had temporarily pulled away from taking on large spaces, but this is no reflection on the development or Coventry, this is something which is happening across the country.

“At Barberry, we are not prepared to sit on our hands and wait for things to happen or for the sector to improve. We decided that we needed to do something and have revisited the scheme.”

The new plans will provide 50,000 sq ft of retail on the ground floor – which will be split into three units – and around 185 car park spaces for shoppers.

The upper floors of the building will be converted into office space – with 50,000 sq ft on one floor and the flexibility to double that space on a second floor. There will also be an additional 140-space parking facilities for the office tenants.

Developers say they have kept the boulevard-style pedestrianised zones and landscaping in the plans, as well as a new pedestrian crossing link to the Canal Basin, which will see them replace the current footbridge across the ring road.

And it is believed the new proposals would create an even bigger jobs boost than the original plans.

Mr Bellfield added: “This revised scheme has the capability to generate and create a lot more jobs and the potential to add more value to the city centre.

“We are talking to national retailers with the view to becoming a tenant and we are confident that this will complement the existing retail offering in the city centre.

“Ideally we would like to start work on the development next year, but first we need to finalise some of the proposals so that we can sit down with potential occupiers and gain their commitment to the scheme.

“Bishop Gate will still go ahead and our proposals form part of Coventry’s exciting regeneration masterplan.

“We have made a very large financial commitment to Coventry and we are still committed to ensuring this scheme goes ahead to the highest standard. We want to ensure that we can create as many jobs, as soon as possible, but obviously occupiers are key to this development and they will dictate when the work begins.”

[dutchman]

New £70m plan unveiled for Coventry's long-awaited Bishop Gate scheme



New plans have been unveiled today for Coventry’s long-awaited Bishop Gate scheme.

The developers Barberry Group have drawn up a new plan to overhaul the city’s derelict Royal Mail sorting office, which will include more than 400 luxury apartments.

The new £70million project will be the first build-to-rent scheme in the West Midlands and will combine one and two-bedroom homes with a range of complementary retail and leisure facilities.

Plans could include a restaurant, gym, coffee shop, florist and a convenience store as well as a 78-space car park.

Worcestershire-based Barberry Group has now instructed property agents CBRE to find a forward funding partner for the 404-unit private rented sector scheme, which is being called CV1 Bishop Gate.

Once an investor is found, builders could be on site within 12 months, with work completed in two-and-a-half years.

The development was initially earmarked as a retail-led scheme with a superstore when it was bought by Barberry in 2011, but after failing to attract a major supermarket operator developers shifted the focus to residential.

The new Bishop Gate proposals include a 40-60 split of one and two-bedroom apartments tailored to the demands of the local rental market.

The original sorting office building will be demolished to make way for the scheme - which will also include around an acre of private landscaped gardens on a raised podium.

[rebbonk]

I'll believe it when I see it happening.

[dutchman]

Bishop Street sorting office to be demolished next month in new £54m plan for shops and student flats



The former Royal Mail sorting office in Coventry city centre will finally be demolished next month as a £54million plan to build new shops and student accommodation gets underway.

New plans have been drawn up to breath new life into the site in Bishop Street after a series of delays.

A deal has been done between developers and Coventry University which means the project should get going with bulldozers moving in within weeks.

Coventry University and developers Barberry Developments have agreed a deal to replace the derelict Royal Mail building with ground floor retail units aimed at national chains and accommodation above for 850 students.

Developers say work on the new Bishop Gate scheme will start in August with the demolition of the former sorting office and, subject to planning permission, construction will start in summer 2016.

Accommodation will include a range of room options with en-suite facilities, communal areas, seminar rooms, TV and games rooms, study rooms and a launderette. The first rooms are set to be available by autumn 2018.

The announcement follows a series of delays to plans for the Royal Mail building, which was closed down in November 2010.

[rebbonk]

Just what the city needs!

I'd actually like to see a credible breakdown of the student worth to the city. I reckon there'd be a few shocks.

[dutchman]

Student accommodation plans for former Bishop Street sorting office increase by 50 per cent

Plans for a £73million student and shopping complex at the former Royal Mail sorting office in Coventry have grown by 50 per cent.

Barberry Developments originally wanted to create accommodation for 850 students at the site in Bishop Street at a cost of £54m - but now want to increase the number of rooms to 1,200.

Internal work has already begun on the site with the exterior demolition of the building due to start later this month.

People will have the chance to view and comment on the initial proposals during a day-long consultation at Coventry Transport Museum between 11am and 7pm on Monday.

[rebbonk]

a day-long consultation .... between 11am and 7pm

Bl**dy joke!

[dutchman]

Design of new Bishopgate development revealed at public consultation



Developers behind plans for a 1,200-room student block in Coventry say the project will open up a new view of the city’s spires.

Representatives from Barberry Developments and Coventry University unveiled the blueprints at a one-day public consultation at Coventry Transport Museum yesterday.

The £73million Bishopgate development involves the demolition of the old Royal Mail sorting office in Bishop Street, and the construction of five 18-storey towers and a shopping centre below.

Developers say this would create a new vista of Coventry Cathedral and Holy Trinity from the Canal Basin and the ring-road.

Dozens of people attended yesterday’s consultation.

Some have expressed concerns that the buildings could overshadow properties and that students may start parking cars in nearby residential streets.

But representatives were quick to quell those concerns, saying modern materials, like glass, could be generously used throughout the building.

Other plans for student accommodation in the city centre include Belgrade Plaza and the former Allied Carpets store in Corporation Street.

That reminds me, there's a pile of old shoe boxes in the spare bedroom I need to move!