New Union Street car park to be torn down by council despite concerns over cost

[dutchman]

A survey revealed it is "structurally unsound"



A dilapidated car park will be knocked down by the council and replaced with a temporary car park - despite concerns about the near-million pound cost. New Union Street car park was closed three years ago after demand for parking in Coventry city centre plummeted following the pandemic.

The 240-space car park is an "eyesore" and "of no use to us in its current form" a council officer told a meeting. A new 150-space temporary surface car park will be built on the footprint of the car park and the neighbouring Cheylesmore car park, said parking manager Paul Bowman.

But Tory councillor Jackie Gardiner questioned the plan given the estimated £971k cost, including just under £800k on demolition alone. "Is it feasible to save the one million pounds and simply open up the car park, or is there something that makes it unsafe?" she said.

In response, Bowman said a structural survey in 2018 showed the car park was effectively falling apart and "structurally it isn't sound." The cost to repair it now would be more than £1.25 million and more money would be needed to put in a new lift to make it accessible.

Director of property Richard Moon admitted that theoretically the car park could be reopened. "But it'll be a very substandard car park and it would only ever have a short life," he added. "[We] could end up spending £1.5 million quid now just to give it a two-year life."

Cllr Gardiner asked what the minimum spend would be and said she wanted to know the degree to which it was actually unsafe, compared to undesirable. "If you're desperate to park your car, you really don't care," she said.

But cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change Cllr Jim O'Boyle said: "We have to spend money to re-open it. I used the car park years ago, it was a dump even then. I didn't feel safe. I'm not sure we'd want a car park like that as an offer in the city."

Bowman added: "This is of its time, and it's time for it to go."

Green Cllr Stephen Gray questioned the council's approach to parking spaces and claimed its strategy is more about reacting to demand rather than influencing it. "Controlling the number of parking spaces in the longer term is part of encouraging modal shift, something we should be considering," he said.

"Shutting car parks is part of the broader strategy. It's an aspect of a wider behaviour change to solve the city's traffic problems."

But Labour councillors at the meeting hit back, stressing that the council needs to meet peoples' needs and claiming work is already being done to help people change their transport patterns.

Cllr O'Boyle said: "The strategy is wider than just about this car park, are there policies to encourage people to come to the city centre other than by car. It's important in the short term we respond to that need, in the short term, while other policies work themselves out."

He added: "I don't see my job as saying to people, you can't come in this way or that way. We have got to accommodate, we've got to be as flexible and reasonable as we can.

"We are as a city dominated by cars, we can't get rid of the car. My car sits in my garage more than it used to, because I am making different choices than I used to."

Labour Cllr Patricia Hetherton said it was important to offer people choice. "Older people want to come in with their cars, we're looking at equality and diversity, I can tell you we spend a lot of time looking to the future to make the city much more pedestrian friendly," she said.

Concluding the meeting, Cllr O'Boyle agreed with the recommendation to knock the car park down and replace it with a temporary one. He said: "Whatever action we take it's going to cost us money. Nothing is cost neutral here."

[rebbonk]

We are going to find most car parks 'unsound' when we move to electric vehicles due to the extra weight of the batteries.

Oh dear, yet another cost not taken into account by our excremental government and compliant council! Taxpayers, open your chequebooks, again!

[dutchman]

City's largest mural being torn down



Coventry's largest mural is being torn down as demolition work starts on a car park in the city centre.

The mural, created by street art duo Nomad Clan, has covered the side of the New Union Street car park since 2021.

However, the 1970s car park will now be demolished during an operation estimated to take 12 weeks to complete.

The mural, called Atmopshere, was installed as part of the In Paint We Trust programme to celebrate Coventry being named the UK City of Culture 2021.

Depicting a giant fob watch on fire, hurtling through space, the mural nods to Coventry's watchmaking history while also alluding to the need for action over climate change.

Coventry writer Raef Boylan lives near the "unusual" mural and has past it most days on his way to work.

He told BBC CWR: "I'm pretty gutted, I'm going to be very sad to see it go, but I'm grateful they created it for us, we had a good few years with it.

"It's not the most picturesque of car parks, so the fact there's this massive beautiful mural on it - the contrast between the car park and the art is extra impressive, [it] makes it more amazing to me."

The car park closed in February 2021 and has not been used in three years.

After the building is demolished, the brickwork will be crushed and recycled, before a temporary car park with 75 spaces will be installed.

"It's a shame they couldn't find a space for it on something that would last a bit longer, but I've found out it was always earmarked for demolition, even the artists knew that," Mr Boylan added.

"I'm going to go say bye to the mural, as crazy as that sounds."