Coventry's new political party...

[dutchman]

Taxes on student rooms and a road through Broadgate



A new political party has officially launched across Coventry.

Coventry Citizens Party revealed its bold policies to residents this weekend at launch events in Willenhall, Bell Green and Radford on Saturday (February 1).

They include plans for a new hospital, a canal waterbus, and new taxes on empty student accommodation rooms.

The group has said it wants to “challenge the two-party system” at Coventry City Council and “change the way local democracy works”.

Leader Ian Rogers, who was formerly leader of Coventry UKIP, said: “We want to make connections across public services, local infrastructure and communities.

“We also want to rebalance the city’s economy to create more office jobs and permanent housing.

“Coventry can be a successful city which also cares about the wellbeing and economic outcomes of all its citizens.”

Mr Rogers outlined a number of the group’s policies to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The party wants to introduce a new tax on empty student rooms and is also championing the introduction of a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL).

The party also wants to bring back the former Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital, which closed in 2006 when services moved to University Hospital Coventry.

The Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre on Fairfax Street, fondly known at the Elephant building, is closing and the council agreed last year to embark on ‘market testing’ for future uses of the site.

The party wants to keep the building and transform it into a new arts and music venue with an open space which can continue to be used for events and teaching, as well as a rooftop terrace and cafe.

The party supports plans to re-open the former Coundon train station, would propose a new station in Binley, and wants to see a new parkway station in Longford as part of an ‘Express Interchange Project’.

Other transport ideas include a new waterbus from the Canal Basin to Swan Lane Basin to help reduce traffic congestion and boost tourism.

The party proposes to build a new road through Broadgate for buses and taxis only, stating it would boost tourism and improve access to the city centre.

The party has announced that it will be fielding candidates in every ward in the upcoming May local elections.

And it is currently taking applications.

Key wards will be fought by leader Ian Rogers in Henley, Marcus Fogden in Longford, and Paul Cowley in Binley and Willenhall, the group said.

[rebbonk]

Best of luck to them, but it'll take some doing, breaking the Labour stranglehold on the city.

[Melisandre]

Just for bringing the Coventry & Warwickshire hospital back into the town they would get my vote we need more smaller hospitals.

May be it would get more oaps shopping if buses were in Broadgate again as having to climb a hill for a lot of them is a task on it's own.