Coventry Royal Mail sorting office sold to developers

[dutchman]

The Royal Mail's sorting office in Coventry will close at the end of the year when it transfers to new owners.



The closure of the Bishop Street site comes after a sale was agreed with a Midlands-based development firm.

The sale of the site went ahead despite protests by the 600 staff about the closure and a move to a new £70m site in Northampton.

A spokesperson for Royal Mail said: "There have been no compulsory redundancies as a result of the move."

"Staff have either been redeployed in the Coventry area, given voluntary redundancy or will move to the new South Midlands Mail Centre with an enhanced travel package."

The delivery operation which was based at Bishop Street is being replaced by two new offices.

City Councillor Linda Bigham said: "I am very pleased that this land has been bought by Barberry Development and am looking forward to working with them as we do with any other developers bringing forward regeneration to the city."

[PoundShopPeter]

Wonder if they will turn it into a shopping centre full of £1 shops, bookmakers, charity shops and pawnbrokers?

[dutchman]

I heard it was to be student flats.

[pollyanna]

Could be 'affordable housing'

[dutchman]

The plans for this building are apparently going to be a mixed development with significant retail element.

Spot on Flapdoodle

Bishop Street sorting office in Coventry is to be transformed into shops, according to its new owners.



The former Royal Mail building, which closed in November, has been bought by developers Barberry Group.

Company director Henry Bellfield said the premises had up to £70m of developmental value which would be retail-led.

He said the bottom floors would be used for retail purposes while the upper floors could be accommodation.

"We are working on some very exciting plans to redevelop the site and some of the adjoining sites," he said.

"The building will not really be recognisable when we have completed our scheme," he said.

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

[dutchman]

Demolition firm fined for using water hydrant illegally while knocking down Coventry's old Bishop Street sorting office



A demolition firm has been fined for illegally using water while knocking down the old Bishop Street sorting office in Coventry.

DSM Demolition Ltd pleading guilty at Coventry Magistrates Court on September 21 to taking water from a hydrant without permission.

The company was ordered to pay £3,243 including costs.

According to Coventry-based Severn Trent, the demolition company used a standpipe to take water for their own purposes without permission or payment.

The water firm said this could lead to damage of the hydrants, and loss of supply or discoloured water for customers.

The Bishop Street site was being cleared ahead of the construction of a high-rise student accommodation and retail complex, which is set to start next month.

Speaking after the court case, Lee Rawlings, water fittings senior technician at Severn Trent, said: “Illegal use of our hydrants is a real problem for us and so for our customers.

“Anyone who illegally uses a hydrant is only thinking of themselves and not of the potential effect on our customers – no-one wants discoloured water because a company decides that it’s above the law.

“Also, why should these people be able to get water for free, when we all have to pay for it?”

Bosses at Severn Trent are now asking their customers to keep a lookout for unauthorised use that can lead to discoloured water for thousands of homes and businesses.

All authorised standpipes should be painted bright green and feature the Severn Trent and Aquam logos.

This includes the illegal opening of hydrants which was an issue in some neighbourhoods in Coventry this summer.

The Telegraph previously reported in July that a number of hydrants in Wood End had been forced open during the recent hot weather.

Locking caps are also being fitted on fire hydrants, so they can only be opened with special equipment.

Since the start of 2016, Severn Trent has investigated more than 50 instances of illegal use of Severn Trent hydrants.

Many of those investigations lead to formal cautions and even criminal prosecutions.