Historic Coventry building last used as care home could become flats

[dutchman]

New plans for the Langleys in Stoke Green have been revealed



A historic Coventry building last used as a care home could be converted into flats. The Langleys in Stoke Green has parts dating back to the 17th century as well as later changes and additions.

The locally listed building used to be a farmhouse and was turned into a care home in 1988. It was put on the market last year and has stood empty since last September.

An application to convert the 15-bedroom former home into eight flats has been submitted to Coventry Council. The plan includes a two-storey side and back extension and a side building at the back would be turned into an office.

Architecturally important parts at the front of the building won't be impacted by the scheme, a design access & heritage statement said. The added parts will have features that match the current main building's material and colour, according to the statement.

"There will be a benefit as the property will be improved aesthetically by the rear extension," it added. "It is considered the proposed development would increase the diversity of housing available to the residents, without adverse effect on the conservation area or amenity of neighbouring residents."

The building is in the Stoke Green conservation area of the city which dates back to 1968. According to the council, the area "combines the ancient open spaces of Stoke Green and Binley Road with their ring of surrounding development and the attractive residential development of Stoke Park first laid out in the Victorian period on the site of the city's former race course."

The application can be viewed on the council website under reference PL/2023/0002637/FUL.

[dutchman]

Plans to turn historic Coventry house into flats refused



Plans to turn a historic Coventry house into flats have been rejected. The scheme was refused permission by the council last week (13 March.)

It would have seen an old care home in a conservation area extended and converted into eight self-contained flats. The Langleys building in Stoke Green dates back to the 1600s and is a "rare survival," reports say.

The house was added to in later centuries and expanded notably in the late 1980s. But a council officer said the latest scheme should not go ahead for several reasons, including how it would affect the historic home.

The officer criticised the design quality of a planned extension and said it "detracts from" the locally listed building. The size of the flats also came under fire for being below national standards, and the officer said some windows in the extension would lead to overlooking and a loss of privacy for a neighbour.

The officer concluded that the negative effects of the scheme would outweigh its pros of providing more homes amid the city's housing shortage. The plans were hit by three letters of objection from residents, their report also revealed.

Opponents claimed there was "no clarity" in the plans over what the site would be used for and said a site office "raises questions" on its use. They also voiced fears about who would live there - saying that if it is for ex-offenders or high-risk patients, it would be a "risk" to all residents.

Responding to these comments, the officer wrote that the flats would be rented and managed by the applicant. They said that using an office on a monthly basis on the site is "not a normal scenario" but said this would not be a reason to turn the plans down.

"In terms of the occupants, the applicant has indicated that each resident who occupies will be given a background check but this isn't a matter to which the planning authority can condition or be involved in," the report added.

[dutchman]

The Langleys on Stoke Green, parts of which date back 400 years, could be bulldozed to make way for a new home



An historic building on Stoke Green, parts of which date back more than 400 years, could be knocked down to make way for a new house. Plans have been lodged with Coventry City Council to demolish The Langleys, thought to be the oldest building in Stoke Park having been built in 1622.

Most recently, the property has been used as a care home but was put up for sale with a price tag of £800,000 in 2023. The following year, plans to convert it into flats were thrown out by city council planners. Now its days could be numbered.

The building, which is located near to the Joseph Levi Clock within the Stoke Green Conservation Area, has been considerably altered over the years and extended prior to being opened as a care home in 1989. According to the Coventry Society and Stoke Local History Group, documents emerged at the time of the conversion outlining some of its extensive history.

The owners, Jeffrey Graham and his brother Leonard Rawnsley, were said to be spending £30,000 converting the house into a retirement home and found thick sandstone blocks under the plaster exterior while inside, there were solid oak beams and remnants of daub and wattle in the walls. Mr Graham also said he had been told the house was once known as The Bowling Green Inn and historic records mention a 'Bowling Alley House' at Stoke Green in 1641.

The plans sent to Coventry City Council have been accompanied by a heritage statement drawn up by Warwickshire firm Agility Planning & Design Ltd which explains that once the property was demolished, a self-build house would be put up in its place as long as those plans were approved. The document goes on to say: "The existing building has had extensive alterations and much of the original features have been lost over time.

"Although the historical age of the property dates to the 17th century, changes have been unsympathetic and diminished the overall quality and attractiveness of the heritage asset. It is noted that there would be perceived harm because of demolition but the replacement building would be of high-quality design that would potentially enhance the conservation area."

The Coventry Society has yet to decide whether there are grounds for objection and the full planning application can be found here.