Coventry block of flats dating back to 1960s will be demolished this autumnA Coventry block of flats dating back to the 1960s will be demolished this autumn. Vincent Wyles House on Attoxhall Road in Wyken has been housing Coventry residents for almost 60 years.
But the block now sits entirely empty, with one time residents rehomed by Citizen Housing, the group that own the building. The housing association has confirmed plans are in place to have the ten-storey building demolished this October, though an exact date is yet to be confirmed.
As reported back in 2019, the erection of a number of houses is planned to replace the flats. Planning permission is not expected to be submitted until next year.
A spokesman for Citizen said: "We’re about to appoint a contractor and expect demolition work to start in October. All the residents have been rehoused. We’re still working on plans for the houses and hope to submit a planning application in spring of next year."
The plans are part of the association's regeneration plans for this section of Wyken. It involved the complete refurbishment of William Malcolm House - a block built at the same time as Vincent Wyles.
A statement on Citizen's website reads: "The regeneration of an area of Wyken will be our first major regeneration project as Citizen, alongside our regeneration of Spon End. Our Vincent Wyles House tower block which is made up of 144 flats will be demolished and 93 new homes will be built in its place.
"Meanwhile, our 15-storey William Malcolm House, made up of 112 flats, will be refurbished. The five year project will be completed in 2024."
Interestingly both blocks were named after former city mayors. Vincent Wyles was mayor in 1931, while William Malcolm held the same position in 1948.