Coventry corner shop, car wash and takeaway set to be demolished for new care home

[dutchman]

There have been objections raised but a report to councillors said it would be a "well-designed larger building which would enhance the street scene"



A corner shop, car wash and takeaway in a Coventry community are set to be demolished to make way for a new care home. Under the proposals, the three current buildings on Holyhead Road and Minster Road would be bulldozed.

In their place would be a 26-bedroom, residential care home in what would be a predominantly three storey building. It would also boast a roof top garden facing onto Minster Road.

It is not the first planning application submitted for the site as there have been historic planning applications including for a care home with 27 rooms, which was withdrawn. Prior to this plans were submitted for a three-storey building comprising an element of retail (Use Class A1) on the ground floor and student accommodation.

This new application is solely for a care home but there have been some objections raised by those who live locally. Among the concerns are over development, 'brutal' design, increased traffic, increased parking pressure, no cycle or mobility scooter storage, increased crime and loss of amenity/corner shop.

Some are also concerned about the impact of the new facility as it is in the Naul’s Mill Conservation Area. However, planners at Coventry City Council are recommending that the proposal be given the go-ahead. In a report, they said that the proposal has been designed to help boost the heritage in the area.

The report to planning committee members explains: "The proposed development provides an opportunity to create a well-designed larger building which would enhance the street scene and wider setting of the Conservation Area. It is considered the proposal would result in a positive impact upon the significance of this heritage asset.

"The design of the building has been the subject of detailed discussion with the conservation officer and urban design officer and has evolved into its current form. It is considered that the overall scale and form of development will sit comfortably at this road junction where other large properties are located on the other three corners."

The report adds that Infiniti Care, which would run the care home, provide support for individuals with dementia, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and mental health disorders and are working in partnership with the developer with a long-term lease in mind.

"The proposed development is considered to be acceptable in principle and would have a positive impact upon the character of the street scene and conservation area," the report concludes. "Furthermore, it will not result in any significant impact upon neighbour amenity, highway safety, ecology or infrastructure, subject to relevant conditions and contributions."

[dutchman]

The takeaway was the best fish & chip shop in Coventry at one time (Zuleika's Plaice) but hasn't been used for years.

Many people in the area though rely on the corner shop.

The proposed new building is absolutely hideous and makes a mockery of the council's so-called "conservation area".

[dutchman]

Corner shop spared the axe as care home plans rejected

Plans to bulldoze a corner shop, takeaway and car wash to make way for a care home in Coventry were rejected. Councillors voted against giving the Spon End scheme the green light despite admitting that the area is "a bit of a mess" and could do with development.

At Thursday's meeting, one councillor warned that knocking down the corner shop would be a "terrible loss" for people in the community. While others were more concerned about parking and the scheme's design.

Infiniti Care was set to run the care home, which would have looked after people with dementia, learning and physical disabilities and mental health disorders. But more than five residents objected to the scheme and ward councillor Gavin Lloyd called it in for consideration by Coventry City Council's Planning Committee.

In a statement read out at a meeting on Thursday (23 February), Cllr Lloyd said losing the corner shop would be a "terrible loss" for the elderly, infirm or parents with small children nearby. "The locality has already lost its Post Office, its Chemist, and one of the two clubs or pubs within a walking radius," he said.

He also said the plans would increase pressure on parking in Minster Road and be an "overbearing size" for the conservation area.

Several councillors on the committee criticised the lack of off-street parking and the size of the planned care home. Cllr Catherine Miks hit out at the plans, saying she wasn't happy about the quality of the design.

"The diagrams, I needed a magnifying glass to look at and I'm still not clear on those, because the drawings in here are just not good enough," she said.

"I'm not happy about the parking, especially on this road. I think it's really an overdevelopment."

She later added: "Everybody agrees, this is a horrible area. But why are we impacting it more with having such a large building and no [relatives'] parking? These are vulnerable people, people are going to want to come and see them."

Cllr Roger Bailey also wasn't convinced about the plans. "Clearly the development is better than what we've got there because it's a bit of a mess, that's not an issue," he said.

"I'm concerned about the volume of cars that would visit. I know there's a transport statement but I don't actually think they convert into reality. I think people can't help but use cars, for a lot of reasons."

Ward councillor Jackie Gardiner said locals had seen care homes approved, only for these to be turned into hostels, bringing problems to the area. "It's happened many times before, and local people know this, and that's what we're concerned about," she said.

[dutchman]

Responding, a council officer said there are "substantial services" in the area such as a Morrison's 700 metres away.

That tells you something about the mentality of council planning officers!

Also I don't believe we've heard the last of this proposal:

Cllr Shakila Nazir said: "If it was reduced in size and had some on-site car parking I think the site would work."