"Plans submitted for huge City Centre South regeneration scheme in Coventry"

[dutchman]

It will include a cinema, restaurants and lots more



Plans have been submitted for Coventry’s long-awaited City Centre South scheme.

Revised plans for the huge city centre regeneration project were launched in June this year by developers Shearer Property Group.

The company has now submitted an outline planning application to Coventry City Council following a consultation exercise, which included a three-week public exhibition earlier this year.

The revised plans no longer include a department store, which had formed part of the original vision.

Instead of an anchor store at its heart, the scheme will feature what is described as “a public realm and accessible events space” as well as retail, leisure and residential elements.

The development will include a cinema, restaurants, co-working space and community space, alongside a variety of different shopping outlets.

It will also feature new homes and space for a hotel.

Shearer Property Group has described City Centre South as “one of the most significant opportunities for regeneration and investment the city has seen for decades”.

Guy Shearer at Shearer Property Group, said: “Despite these very challenging times, I am delighted that we are now bringing this long-awaited regeneration scheme forward for approval.

“We continue to work closely on City Centre South with Coventry City Council and today marks another important milestone in the process bringing us closer to finally delivering a transformation of this large strategic site in the heart of the city centre.”

[dutchman]

Coventry heritage group slams 'unacceptable' city centre regeneration plans



A group that campaigns to protect Coventry's heritage has responded to an ambitious city centre regeneration scheme.

The 15-acre regeneration site is in the southern part of the city centre and includes Bull Yard, Shelton Square, Market Way, City Arcade and Hertford Street.

The Twentieth Century Society (C20) has released a statement branding the plans "unacceptable".

C20 case worker Coco Whittaker said: “The loss of the Bull Yard is totally unacceptable.

"We believe the site is an important example of the re-planning and building of Coventry in the post-war period, home to a number of low-rise retail blocks with connected roof top car parks. Such buildings could be sympathetically refurbished and reused as part of an effort to improve and invest in the area.

“As noted in pre-application discussions, the current position of the Three Tuns mural, both inside and outside the retail unit, evokes the sense of it being carved from the building material rather than applied, and it is difficult to see how this effect will be replicated.

"We maintain our previously stated view that repositioning in a freestanding location would likely compromise the mural’s significance and could also damage it.”

Professor Louise Campbell, a specialist in late 19th and 20th century architecture based at the University of Warwick, has also objected to the plans.

She said: “This outline planning application stresses the importance of creating a sense of place particular to Coventry.

"But its axial organisation, large blocks and central pavilion convey nothing specific to Coventry. This could be an area of Milton Keynes, or Minnneapolis, or Magnitogorsk.

“This unique complex of buildings and spaces around Bull Yard has been shamefully neglected and allowed to deteriorate.

"Rather than restoring them, choosing to sweep them away in favour of an undistinguished series of buildings and pedestrian streets will shock those who admire Coventry’s remarkable post-war heritage as well as those who live, work and shop there.”

[dutchman]

I wouldn't worry if I was them as nothing will come of it.

[rebbonk]

My worry is that the council have form for demolishing things when they have no finance or proper plans to replace things.

[dutchman]

Criticism levelled at City Centre South scheme over affordable housing element

Criticism has been levelled at the huge City Centre South scheme, which is set to transform Coventry city centre, over the lack of affordable housing.

Coventry's civic society, the Coventry Society, has said that although it is generally supportive of sensitive redevelopment, it has a number of concerns with some aspects of the City Centre South scheme.

It is particularly concerned with the lack of affordable housing, given almost £100m in public funds is helping to finance the scheme.

The Coventry Society's concerns come in the wake of criticism from a group that campaigns to protect Coventry's heritage.

Earlier this month the Twentieth Century Society (C20) released a statement branding the plans "unacceptable".

The group said it was particularly concered about the loss of Bull Yard.

In a statement the Coventry Society said it supports the proposals for up to 1,300 dwellings, which corresponds to the average number of dwellings per annum required by the Coventry Local Plan 2017.

That has outlined the need for 24,600 new homes over the Local Plan period between 2011 and 2031.

It suggests Coventry needs 12,000 affordable homes or 600 annually - 28% of total housing growth. The Coventry Society points to the city council’s Policy H6 Affordable Housing, which seeks a developer contribution of 25% towards the provision of affordable housing on developments of 25 dwellings or more or over one hectare.

It says for City Centre South this would lead to the creation of up to 325 affordable homes.

Also that the city centre has been identified as an area of low existing social housing provision.

It also draws attention to the fact that in such areas Policy H6 seeks the provision of 15% social/affordable housing and 10% intermediate housing.

In a statement on its website the Coventry Society says: “Policy H6 further notes that where the level of affordable housing cannot be provided, including for reasons of viability, robust evidence must be presented to justify a reduced or alternative form of contribution.”

It added: “The failure to commit to the provision of affordable housing in this proposal flies in the face of the investment of £95.5m by the West Midlands Combined Authority to ensure its viability.

“The authority, as recently as December 2020 (in the Coventry Champion), has noted its desire that see that 20% of all homes built are affordable.

“The West Midlands Mayor, Andy Street, has said (personal communication 31/12/2020): “City centre developments are, by their very nature particularly challenging. We would however, still hope that in considering the planning application, Coventry City Council would seek to maximise the proportion of homes that could be affordable”.”

Emphasising the need for affordable homes as part of the scheme the statement says: “There’s a clear issue here between the underpinning of Coventry’s largest city centre redevelopment since the city’s post-war reconstruction by £95.5m of public money and the developer’s reluctance to provide an appropriate number of affordable homes (260 units: 20% of 1300) that the WMCA is pressing for in Coventry.

“Therefore, the Coventry Society objects to the failure of the application to provide adequate affordable housing.”