Grade II listed building could be turned into student flats

[dutchman]

A Grade II listed building near Coventry Cathedral could be turned into student flats.



A planning application has been submitted to the city council to transform Bayley House, in Bayley Lane, into student accommodation.

The building is currently used as a business centre but owner Jas Jaspal says it has never been as profitable as first hoped.

He said: “There are not many businesses based here unfortunately. We have had to look at other avenues.

“The thinking behind the business centre was good but in practice it hasn’t worked.

“It’s never really been a great business. If it was full up we wouldn’t be doing this but the demand just isn’t there. If it wasn’t owner occupied we’d have an empty building.

“If you look around here there are plenty of offices out to let. At the time a lot of people joined into the same market at the same time.

"It’s pointless having empty bars or empty offices which just cause pain and misery.

“There have been several attempts to turn next door into a bar but it has closed again.”

Bayley House dates back 500 years and is the last remaining of a row of Tudor cottages.

It was bought by Mr Jaspal in 2004 as an investment opportunity and the Business Centre was opened in 2007.

He said he had little choice but to look at transforming it into a new, profitable business and wants to convert it into student housing as he believes Coventry University is one of the main areas of growth in the city.

“It’s a nice building and we’ve been working with the council on a sympathetic refurbishment.

“It will make quite a quirky accommodation right on the doorstep of Coventry University,” said Mr Jaspal.

“The university is prospering, developing and growing in a city where everything else is declining.

“It would be good to support this growth as much as we can and capitalise on any growth area in the city.”

The plan is to convert the building to provide living accommodation for up to 18 students. Each bedroom would be en-suite, with two kitchen areas.

There are no alterations planned for the outside of the building.

[rebbonk]

Sounds like Mr Jaspal made a lousy business investment?

Turning that building into student accommodation would be (IMHO) a crime

[dutchman]

TV historian Jonathan Foyle hits out at Coventry student flats plan

A TV historian has hit out at plans to turn the historic Bayley House in Coventry into student flats.

Author and TV expert Jonathan Foyle has criticised plans to convert the Grade II listed city centre building in Bayley Lane into accommodation for students.

As the Telegraph reported last week, a consultation is under way into the proposal to transform the building in the Cathedral Quarter into 18 student flats.

It is currently being used as a business centre.

The 500-year-old building, next to St Mary’s Guildhall and opposite the Cathedral Ruins, is the last remaining of a row of Tudor cottages.

Foyle has previously criticised Coventry for “underselling itself” and its historic buildings.

Speaking of the planning application, he told the Telegraph Bayley House is an “eye-catcher” in the “best medieval street in Britain”.

“To use it as student digs doesn’t promote long-term care of historic buildings in the city and the image is we don’t care so why should you,” he said. “It actually drives people away.”

Concerned about the effect such a development would have on the surrounding area, the World Monuments Fund chief executive added: “If 18 students are crammed into this building with bathrooms and kitchens there is an increased risk of fire and that would have an impact on the other buildings.

“If the city doesn’t believe in these buildings, why should anyone else.”

City heritage group The Coventry Society is also preparing to lodge a formal objection to the city council.

Society chairman Keith Draper wants to see Bayley House opened as a tourist attraction.

He said: “To let this slip through our fingers would be an absolute catastrophe.

“This is precisely what Coventry needs. We need to upgrade the Cathedral Quarter.”

Councillor Ed Ruane, Coventry City Council’s cabinet member for housing, leisure and culture, also says the plan is inappropriate for the building.

He said: “The Cathedral Quarter is a conservation area, we should not only be preserving this medieval part of the city, but doing more to attract visitors to this culturally rich part of the city.

“It is our duty as a council to protect some of Coventry’s medieval assets but more importantly to promote them, if not what unique historic attractions will we have left in the city.

‘‘You only have to look at the Establishment round the corner and the medieval houses on Spon Street to understand the importance of preserving these buildings for the benefit for businesses to prosper.”

[dutchman]

Second student flats bid made on listed building near Coventry Cathedral



A second bid has been launched to turn a Grade II listed building near Coventry Cathedral into student flats.

A planning application was originally submitted to the city council at the start of the year to transform Bayley House, in Bayley Lane, into student accommodation, but was withdrawn.

However the owner of the building, Jas Jaspal, has returned with a second application which would convert the space in to living accommodation for up to 18 students, with en-suite bedrooms and two kitchens.

Heritage experts in the city are against the proposals and want to see buildings such as Bayley House kept exactly as they are.

Bayley House is currently used as a business centre. Parts date back 500 years and it is the last remaining of a row of Tudor cottages.

It was bought by Mr Jaspal in 2004 as an investment opportunity and the Business Centre was opened in 2007.

Mr Jaspal previously said: “It will make quite a quirky accommodation right on the doorstep of Coventry University.

"The university is prospering, developing and growing in a city where everything else is declining.

“It would be good to support this growth as much as we can and capitalise on any growth area in the city.”

Although there are no alterations planned for the outside of the building, Roger Bailey from the city’s Blue Badge Tourist Guide still believes it is vital the plans do not go ahead.

He said: “I think it’s wrong to turn them in to student flats as it is a historical place and is in our heritage quarter.

“I encourage everyone who cares about our heritage to stand up and put their objections to the council.

"This is not about being anti-student, it is because we don’t have much heritage so we need to protect what we do have.”

To view the plans visit http://planning.coventry.gov.uk/portal/index.html and search for application number FUL/2012/2263.

[dutchman]

Plans to turn Coventry's historic Bayley House into student flats are turned down

One of Coventry’s oldest buildings will not be transformed in to student flats after plans were branded “idiotic”.

Members of the city council’s planning committee unanimously turned down the proposals which would have seen the Grade II listed Bayley House, in Bayley Lane, turned in to accommodation for 18 students, with en-suite bedrooms and two kitchens.

Parts of Bayley House date back to the 16th century and is the last remaining of a row of Tudor cottages, and Tracey Darke, the council’s development manager, described it as being in “one of the most beautiful and important streets in Coventry”.

It is currently used as a business centre by owner Jas Jaspal who, had wanted to make it available as student flats. However the plans had seen some strong opposition from the likes of English Heritage and the city’s Blue Badge Tourist Guide, as well as nearly 100 objections during a recent consultation.

Before voting out the plans yesterday, Coun Jim O’Boyle said: “There’s no way this is a suitable location. This is clearly idiotic.”

Also speaking at the meeting was Paul Maddox, from the Coventry Society, who said: “This is the most important and historic building we have in our city and its existence has long been taken for granted.

“We believe the current owner has the best interests of the city at heart and we want to work with him.

“A building this important should be transferred to a trust which would eventually allow for public access