University car park to be built on site of Gulson Hospital

[dutchman]

The old Gulson Hospital building is to be knocked down and turned into a temporary car park for students at Coventry University.



The site in Gulson Road, Lower Stoke, which has stood vacant for several years, was bought by the university last year as part of its ongoing plans to extend its campus.

The university’s new engineering and computing building is currently being built next to the site of the former busy hospital and will be the base for 2,000 students when it opens in September.

As a result university planners are proposing to demolish the remaining buildings of the hospital and use it as a temporary car park.

A formal application for the land’s use has been submitted to Coventry City Council.

The building was originally built as a workhouse and the poor-law infirmary in 1889.

In 1929 it became known as the Gulson Road Hospital and priority was still given to the sick poor although it was open to all Coventry residents.

Following the raids of 1940 and 1941 the Coventry and Warwickshire was virtually destroyed and as a result the Gulson Hospital became the main casualty hospital.

All hospital services were moved out of the building in 1998.

In a report to the council Turnberry Planning, working on behalf of Coventry University, wrote: “Although the university operates numerous car parks throughout the city centre there is clearly a severe lack of parking provision for non-residential students.

“The majority of university car parks, with the exception of Cox Street and Canterbury Street, are staff-only and as such the majority of students are forced to use on-street parking.”

The report said: “As tuition fees increase students expect better quality facilities, and this includes the provision of centrally located car parking.

“It is also possible that the increased fees will result in greater numbers of students choosing to live at home or commute from further away, thus avoiding paying city centre rental prices.

The hospital buildings were once used for clinical services, with a third block used as residential accommodation for nurses.

Permission to demolish the Gulson clinic buildings was granted in May and work has already begun to knock them down. This is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

Around 150 parking spaces are already available for students on the site, which is expected to increase to 300 once the buildings are demolished.

It is hoped this will also take off the pressure from on-street residential parking in the area.

Members of the public have until August 2 to make a representation on the university’s plans.

[Spuffler]

And another piece of Coventry's heritage gone.. Maybe not the most important, but nonetheless. So who owns all these cars?????????

[dutchman]

And another piece of Coventry's heritage gone.. Maybe not the most important, but nonetheless.

And also I can remember when Coventry had four hospitals whereas now it just has one. There's an old saying about carrying eggs in baskets.

So who owns all these cars?????????

"Students", apparently?