Historic Coventry house to be turned into children's home

[dutchman]

Coventry City Council will be repurposing the 1800s Waterworks House



A historic house by the site of an old waterworks in Coventry will become a children's care home. Waterworks House on Spon End was built over 170 years ago for the manager of the area's works, which opened in 1847.

The works closed in 1970, later becoming housing, and all that remains now is the old house and a disused water tank under a nearby green space. Coventry City Council is now turning the four-bedroom house on Doe Bank Lane into a care home for 10 to 18 year olds.

The council got permission for the move earlier this week (9 January) despite three letters of objection from neighbours. Residents claimed it could affect parking and safety as the home is off a single track road used by a nearby school and the Langar Aid house.

They also raised concerns over "disturbance and antisocial behaviour" expected from the type of use, according to a report on the scheme. But a council officer said road teams at the council had not objected and it would not have an unacceptable impact on the road.

"While disturbance and antisocial behaviour is a concern of the neighbours, the children will always have qualified care staff present," the officer added. Planning documents said the move means four children will be able to move back to Coventry and be nearer their families and carers.

The house has "ideal" accommodation for the children, including four individual bedrooms and shared spaces, said the report by local architects IDP for the council. It is expected that 14 full-time staff will work at the home, including an overnight carer, the report added.

There wil not be any alterations to how the building looks or any "considerable change" to how it is used, planners said. The home itself is a "fine example" of "domestic Gothic" architecture from the time and has "significant" value as it is locally listed, a heritage statement added.

But it has also lost some of its historic importance because the setting it was built in is mostly gone, and other changes mean many original features have been lost, the statement said. Overall, the new use will have a "neutral impact" on the historic home, it concluded.

[dutchman]

It was a social club for many years, there were beer kegs parked outside and there's a toilet block tagged onto the side of the building which is not visible in the photo.

Also, fourteen full-time members of staff to supervise just four kids?

And it's next door to a primary school.