COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Plans are afoot for “a new neighbourhood” of 204 new homes with community recreational facilities on a disused piece of land adjoining Coventry Sphinx Sports and Social Club in Stoke Aldermoor



The club, which incorporates Coventry Sphinx Football Club, has teamed up with developers Wellington Arch to draw up development plans “to secure their long-term future”.

Proposals include up to 204 new homes including affordable housing, landscaped public open space, a children’s play area, a skate park, a multi-use games area for community use, as well as a network of footpaths and cycleways to link with the surrounding area.

A wildlife corridor is also included in the plans to promote biodiversity and ecology. Up to 700 new trees and hedgerow species will be planted on the site while significant trees on the site will be retained, including a lime that is protected by a Tree Preservation Order.

Local residents have an opportunity to view and comment on the emerging plans before a planning application is submitted to Coventry City Council via a new website, landadjoiningsphinxclub, established by the developers.

If approved the club will be gifted with the freehold of their Sphinx Drive home which they currently lease, as well as securing investment in the club’s facilities.

The site, acquired by developers Wellington Arch, is currently a disused former private golf club previously owned by Rolls Royce. The golf club ceased operating 20 years ago and the site, which is fenced off from the surrounding community, has since become overgrown with brambles and scrub.

Wellington Arch has undertaken detailed pre-application discussions with officers at Coventry City Council and together with The Sphinx Club are now preparing to submit a planning application for the disused land.

Plans for 170+ homes next to Coventry Sphinx Club deferred amid multiple concerns



Plans for more than 170 new homes on land next to the Coventry Sphinx Sports and Social Club in Stoke Aldermoor have been deferred

Planning officers at Coventry City Council had recommended an outline planning application for up to 174 homes be approved.

They would be built on land that is vacant, which once was home to a private golf club owned by Rolls-Royce.

The planning application was discussed by councillors on Coventry City Council’s planning committee on Thursday October 28.

Discussion on the application lasted for almost two hours before members of the planning committee voted unanimously to defer it.

Cllr Lindsley Harvard (Lab, Longford) chaired the meeting which saw members of the public and a consultant for the developers make representations.

Cllr Rupinder Singh (Lab, Lower Stoke), who is not a member of the planning committee, also spoke opposing the application.

Cllr Singh said there had been 70 letters of objection and added: "I have been around the estate regarding the planning application and did not meet a single resident who is supportive of this."

He also expressed concern about traffic and poor air quality, as well as parking on Armstrong Avenue.

Members of the public who spoke highlighted a number of issues, including the loss of trees, the effect on wildlife and the fact Stoke has already seen more than 5,000 new houses built over the last ten years.

They also pointed to the letters of objection and a petition against the plan signed by 680 people.

There had also been 200 letters of support, though a council officer said these were mostly from people connected with Coventry Sphinx Club.

The consultant representing the developers said the application was "a fantastic opportunity to regenerate what is essentially a derelict site" and provide "much-needed housing".

After lengthy debate involving planning committee members and discussions with officers, Cllr Harvard said: "I don’t think there is a huge enthusiasm here, excuse me if I’m wrong, for accepting the outline application.

"My proposal is that this be deferred, the reason being that the committee is not satisfied with a number of things within the report such as ecological issues, air quality, potential density, entrance to the site in question and the impact on traffic in the area.

"Deferred for it to be brought back for those matters that members have concerns about to be addressed."

Following the unanimous vote for deferral he added: "The application is deferred for it to be brought back for those questions that members have raised to be answered in detail and then of course it will be a fresh application."