Ugly city centre bridge to be demolished as part of regeneration plans

The bridge currently links the council house and civic centre three - which is also expected to be knocked down



The link bridge to the grade two listed council house building could be demolished after plans were approved for consent to knock it down.

Councillors approved the plans this week, meaning the green copper clad bridge will be removed as part of regeneration plans in the area.

It comes as part of the plans for Coventry University to take over Civic Centres one to four.

Along with the demolition of the bridge, it is expected that all four civic centres will be also knocked down.

The plans, unveiled last year, do not involve any changes to the nearby magistrates or crown courts.

They also include a new headquarters for the university, which was founded in 1970, as well as an international student centre, a research hotel and a business incubation unit.

At the time when plans were being unveiled by the university, David Soutter, deputy vice-chancellor of Coventry University , said: “We view this as a great opportunity to improve and add to facilities at the university but also create something worthy of what is a key site for the city.

“Great strides have been made in this part of the city centre and we want to ensure that continues while making the most of what is a once-in-a-generation development opportunity.”

It isn’t known when work will begin to demolish the green clad bridge, but where the hole will be filled in, it will be in keeping with the design of the rest of the council house.

The design statement in the planning pack states that there will be a reinstatement of the original window location to the south facade of the council house, and the elevation will be returned to it’s original design form to allow the building to stand alone from Civic Centre three.

It also states: “On that basis, as set out more fully in Asset Heritage’s Heritage Statement, it is considered that the proposals not only fall well within the listed building’s ‘capacity for change’, but will represent an ‘enhancement’ in terms of character to the listed building.”

About time that was taken down. IMO it ought never have been built.

PS, what's the value of scrap copper these days?

Scrap copper wire price is about £3.60 per kg or 2.205 llb.

I ve never liked it either.

Work begins on removing out of place Coventry City Council link bridge



An ugly city centre bridge is being torn down as Coventry City Council prepares to move home.

Work has begun on demolishing the link bridge between the grade two listed council house building and Civic Centre 3.

It is thought of as an eyesore by many as it doesn’t match the design of the council house, and now the bridge will be removed on Sunday.

The council sold the civic centre buildings to Coventry University last year as the council is moving to a new office at Friargate.

It has said that the removal of the bridge is the ‘next step in the process’ of the hand over to the university.

The University is due to use the site where the civic centre buildings currently stand as a new headquarters and facilities for postgraduate work and international engagement.

When the bridge is gone the council won’t just be left with a hole in the wall though, it is set to be restored to how it looked before the link bridge was put in in the 1970s.

Later this year a new window is set to be made and installed by a specialist contractor and the council has assured that it will be in keeping with the rest of the Council House.

The councillors and officers won’t feel a chill until that work is done either as a temporary cover will be put in until the restoration work begins.

Martin Yardley, Deputy Chief Executive, said: “The Council House is, and will remain, the heart of our democratic decision making.

“It is an important piece of our heritage and it will be great for everyone to see it as it originally was.”

oventry City Council will soon have new headquarters at Friargate but the council house would still be used.

Earl Street will be closed to traffic on Sunday, April 9, while the work on the bridge is carried out.