City centre £50m supermarket scheme unveiled...

Plans for a £50m supermarket scheme in Coventry city centre have been unveiled.



The former Royal Mail sorting centre on Bishop Street and adjoining properties have been bought by Barberry Developments.

A gym and leisure facility with swimming pool, shops and parking spaces have also been proposed.

Barberry Developments said it hoped to finalise a planning application in the coming weeks.

'Great location'

The sorting office closed despite months of protests at the plans which included transferring deliveries to a new office in Northampton.

A planning application is expected to be submitted this month and if planning permission is granted, work could begin on site later this year, the city council said.

The existing Royal Mail building would be demolished, it added.

The authority said it was looking at proposals with the firm to remove the pedestrian bridge across the ring road to the canal basin and replace it with a ground level crossing.

Councillor Linda Bigham, cabinet member for city development said: "The sorting office is in a great location, just off our ring road.

"Despite the difficult economic climate Coventry is still open for business and it is encouraging that we can still work with developers like Barberry to continue our regeneration programme and to create jobs for local people."