Former NatWest bank in Earlsdon demolished despite lack of planning permission...

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Builders told to stop unauthorised demolition work



Builders have been forced to stop work on a row of shops in a conservation area after demolition work was carried out without permission.

The work was taking place at 34-36 Earlsdon Street in the Earlsdon suburb of Coventry.

Coventry City Council intervened by serving a temporary stop notice on Wednesday, prohibiting more work from taking place. The order lasts until late Feburary.

People on social media have called the demolition "disgraceful" and "beyond appalling", with some calling for the properties to be rebuilt "brick by brick."

Scaffolding and hoardings currently cover 34-36 Earlsdon Street, with gaps in the scaffolding showing an empty space where the first floors should be.

It is unclear how much of the ground floors have been affected.

The stop order states the council believes there has been "unauthorised development and/or demolition" in the conservation area.

It stresses the site is prominent in the historic street and planning permission has not been given for the "substantial" work so far.

The notice is also being served to avoid further serious impacts on the protected zone, it adds.

The properties, once home to a branch of NatWest, are in the Earlsdon conservation area which was designated two years ago.

This means any demolition work must have special conservation planning permission. Other changes that might usually be allowed could also need approval.

Plans for a second storey over an extension at the back of the building were approved on appeal last year, but nothing in the documents for the scheme refers to demolition work at the front of the building.

The appeal decision also highlights that the extension would not be visible from the street.

Councillor Ant Tucker called the demolition work a "shocking and sudden development" in a social media post, external.

Sharing his response to the council, he said the works appear to "far surpass" plans for the site and called for an immediate visit by officers.

"Given the central importance of Earlsdon's high street to our community, immediate intervention is needed," he added.

A Coventry council spokesperson said: "We can confirm the works at 34-36 Earlsdon High Street did not have planning permission. As a result, our Planning Enforcement Team served a Temporary Stop Notice on 1 January 2025 and we will investigate in line with our normal procedures."

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Stop notice served by council on former bank in Earlsdon



Coventry City Council has served a stop notice to prohibit further works on the site of a former Natwest bank in Earlsdon. The team served a Temporary Stop Notice following 'unauthorised demolition' at the start of January.

Since then, the local authority say they have listened to residents' concerns and worked with ward councillors to find a solution. However, the TSN is only in effect for a maximum of 56 days, with the notice expiring at midnight on Tuesday, February 25.

No valid planning application has been received for rebuilding works; the council said it was necessary to take further action to ensure that no further works happen on site until planning permission has been granted.

This is the first time in around 20 years that the council has served a Stop Notice. Legislation does not allow a further TSN. Hence, the council served a Stop Notice and Enforcement Notice to prevent further work from being undertaken.

The council's director of City Services, Andrew Walster, said: "We have been listening to residents' concerns and working with ward councillors to find a solution, but so far, we have not received any future plans from the property owners.

"This is frustrating for everyone concerned, and we are determined to find a way forward. That’s why we have taken the step of servicing a Stop Notice. The Earlsdon area was designated a conservation area, and the demolition work carried out so far has seriously impacted the neighbourhood's character."

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Anger grows over Coventry heritage site 'knocked down and left to rot'



A Coventry councillor is demanding ‘immediate action’ after the unauthorised demolition of a building.

The former NatWest in Earlsdon Street was partially knocked down over the Christmas period in 2024.

But over a year later, scaffolding and hoardings still hide what is left.

Cllr Gary Ridley raised the issue at a recent council meeting. Cabinet member for housing and communities, Cllr Naeem Akhtar explained that statements and proofs of evidence had been exchanged and that the public consultation period for the appeal had ended.

He added: "The appeal is currently with the Secretary of State held in abeyance awaiting the allocation of a planning inspector to determine the appeal. It is not appropriate to speculate on what further action may be taken until the outcome of the appeal is known."

But Cllr Ridley has now written to the government demanding ‘immediate action’.

The leader of the Conservative Group on Coventry City Council said: “The site, situated in the Earlsdon Conservation Area, was demolished without authority in late 2024. Whilst the council correctly issued a stop notice, the subsequent appeal process has descended into an unacceptable state of bureaucratic inertia.”

He added: “For seven months this case has been ‘decision-ready’. There are no further documents to file and no more evidence to collect. The only reason for this delay is your department’s failure to appoint a planning inspector.

“This seven-month period of total inactivity exceeds the national median for completing entire appeals. It is an insult to the law-abiding people of Coventry that a flagship heritage site has been left to rot due to an administrative backlog.”

https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/anger-grows-over-coventry-heritage-33283899

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Minister sorry for delay over bank demolition saga



A government minister has blamed a "significant backlog" for delays in deciding the fate of a former bank building in Coventry.

Demolition work on the former NatWest site on Earlsdon Street started over Christmas 2024, but was stopped by Coventry City Council, as the correct permissions had not been granted.

The developer appealed against the stop order, but more than a year on the matter has still not been resolved.

In a letter to the leader of the Conservative group at the council, local government minister Alison McGovern said: "I can assure you that the focus is now moving to reducing backlogs in this area too, concentrating resources on the oldest cases first."

Earlsdon Street falls within a conservation area, and permission to knock down the building would have been required before work could start.

The Conservative group leader on the council, Gary Ridley, had raised the matter at a previous meeting and then wrote to the government.

He said evidence gathering for the investigation had finished in June 2025, but the government had still to appoint an inspector to the case.

In her reply, McGovern said: "Written appeals against enforcement notices and refused lawful development certificates is the remaining significant area of casework backlog and progress is being made to reduce volumes in this area.

She apologised for the delay, adding: "We appreciate the importance of progressing these appeals and I can assure you that the focus is now moving to reducing backlogs in this area too, concentrating resources on the oldest cases first."

The site is currently surrounded by hoardings and scaffolding, with people living in the area having raised concerns about the safety of scaffolding in the street and the structural integrity of the properties in either side of the former NatWest bank.

After receiving the letter, Ridley said: "While I welcome the minister's apology, it offers little comfort to the residents, shoppers, and traders who have faced a year of silence.

"We were told evidence gathering was finished last summer, yet we are still no closer to a resolution. This was a flagrant breach of planning law and without a robust response what is to stop other developers from doing the exact same thing?"

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New plans for partially demolished NatWest bank on Earlsdon high street



New plans have been submitted for the partially-demolished site of a former high street bank in Coventry.

The NatWest building in Earlsdon was in the process of being demolished over the Christmas 2024 holidays until the city council was alerted to the work and issued a stop notice in January 2025. The developer then appealed to the Planning Inspectorate.

Ascot Property Developments and agent Ritesh Parekh of Design Formula Studio have applied for permission to build a two-storey commercial unit on the site at 34-36 Earlsdon Street, which is within the Earlsdon Conservation Area. Floor plans were recently added and documents confirm they intend to open a restaurant there.

A Heritage Assessment Plan sent in on behalf of the developers by Catherine Tuck, principal consultant at Keystone Heritage, said the site is not on the National Heritage list for England and nor is it a locally listed building, but the council has deemed the property to be a non-designated heritage asset within the Earlsdon Conservation Area.

Ms Tuck's assessment says that No 34 Earlsdon Street dates from 1905-1913 while No36 was built earlier, dating from 1889-1906.

The NatWest bank branch closed on the site in 2020 and in 2022 permission was granted on appeal for the building to be used as a restaurant. But vibrations from drilling work to remove the old bank vault are thought to have led to the collapse of the roof.

The heritage report goes on to say the properties on the site have "suffered greatly from subsequent redevelopment to the extent that few features of historic interest survive." Their architectural value has been "considerably reduced by numerous alterations."

It states that "overall, Nos 34-36 are currently of very low heritage significance" and that in their current condition the derelict buildings have a "strongly negative impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area." A full reconstruction of the properties would be needed to fix the problems.

The assessment concludes that the existing buildings do not meet the criteria for recognition as heritage assets and that the loss of the existing structures, which are in poor condition and structurally unsound, is "unavoidable."

The "minor loss" of the properties on site would be "decisively outweighed by the public benefits of the scheme", which include a "sympathetically designed new building" that fills the "unsightly gap" in the street scene and brings "significant improvement" with "potential enhanced economic vitality of the site and wider area."

A planning statement provided by the developers said the demolition of the site that was started in Christmas 2024 was urgently needed on safety grounds.

The statement says: "The fact remains that a partially demolished building with planning permission for partially completed extensions lies within the conservation area, unused and sheeted to the detriment of the visual amenities and economy of the area.

"By presenting this application for planning permission for the erection of the front façade and roof the applicant intends to develop a building that will make a positive contribution to the conservation area in visual terms as well as enhancing the viability and vitality of the local economy."

It says applicants want to create a more contemporary frontage befitting of a new restaurant rather than replicate the long-vanished Edwardian look that once existed there.

The statement finishes by saying: "Local businesses and residents and calling for the building to be reinstated and brought back into use. That, of course, is exactly what the applicant wants and it is perhaps ironic that Coventry City Council in serving notices that preclude any activity on the site is thwarting not just the aspirations of the site's owner but also the wishes of the local community.

"The opportunity now presents itself to provide a new façade, to make a positive contribution to the conservation area, to provide investment and vitality to the locality, to meet the wishes of the local community and to create new jobs. It is hoped that Coventry City Council will seize that opportunity by approving the current application."

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Objection lodged against plans for former bank



A charity has lodged an objection against proposals to turn the site of a former bank into a restaurant.

Natwest bank in Earlsdon Street was being knocked down in December 2024 before a temporary stop notice (TSN) was put on the works by Coventry City Council.

It had been partially demolished without planning permission, before plans were submitted to build a new two-storey unit on the site, to turn it into a restaurant.

However, Coventry Society has criticised the proposed front elevation design as "not up to standard", adding that it was "totally unsympathetic to the existing environment".

The charity, who state on their website that they campaign to conserve Coventry's heritage and improve it's environment, said that the proposed design of the building did not make a "positive contribution to the character of the area required" and asked for the application to be refused.

Traders, shoppers and residents previously raised concerns about the safety of the building, with several reporting parts of the frontage falling into the street.

Developers told the BBC in May that the building was secured and they wanted to get the site back to its "original design and original building features, but without the UPVC panels".

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First look at new building to replace demolished bank and why campaigners object



This is the two-storey building – intended to house a new restaurant – that developers want to build in place of the demolished NatWest bank on Earlsdon high street.

Ascot Property Developments and agent Ritesh Parekh of Design Formula Studio have applied for permission to build a two-storey commercial unit on the site at 34-36 Earlsdon Street, Coventry.

Developers started knocking down the disused bank on Christmas Day 2024 before the council was alerted by residents and imposed a stop notice on the grounds it had not given consent for the demolition.

A planning statement from the developers said: "Local businesses and residents are calling for the building to be reinstated and brought back into use. That, of course, is exactly what the applicant wants and it is perhaps ironic that Coventry City Council in serving notices that preclude any activity on the site is thwarting not just the aspirations of the site's owner but also the wishes of the local community.

"The opportunity now presents itself to provide a new façade, to make a positive contribution to the conservation area, to provide investment and vitality to the locality, to meet the wishes of the local community and to create new jobs. It is hoped that Coventry City Council will seize that opportunity by approving the current application."

However, the Coventry Society is urging the council to refuse the plans, saying they are unsympathetic to the local street scene. The society says its aims include promoting "high standards of planning, urban design and architecture in or affecting Coventry."

It pointed out that "this application is not for a new build which might allow some design aspects to have a modern content, but for a rebuild of part of the demolished terrace where it is expected that the frontage will match the existing properties."

It said the design of the front elevation was out of character with the existing Victorian and Edwardian terraced buildings on the high street.

No ridge tiles have been included despite these being a feature of the existing row of shops and restaurants. Concrete roof tiles are proposed rather than slate or clay, and window lintels and sills will be ivory rather than painted white like the rest of the street, it explained.

The new windows are uPVC whereas design guidance for conservation areas requires timber frames. Aluminium front doors like those proposed are not permitted and should also be made of timber. And there are no corbels, porticos or pilasters, the society pointed out.

Residents and traders have mixed views on the proposals though most are keen to see something done with the eyesore after it's been left empty and increasingly dilapidated since the NatWest branch closed in 2020.

Heaps of rubble can be seen piled up behind the surviving metal door of the old bank after scaffolding and tarpaulin was removed several weeks ago.

Some locals have said the immediate area already has enough restaurants and a better idea should be put forward.

Coventry City Council told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it had received more than five objections to the proposals. This means that if permission is recommended for approval by officers, the scheme would be referred to the council's planning committee for a decision.