12 - March 2012

A presentation on the redevelopment of Market Way, Shelton Square and Hertford Street. Your opportunity to discuss the aspects of the plan

Monday, March 12 at 7.30 pm

Holy Trinity Centre, Priory Row (old Bluecoat School) Visitors welcome Light Refreshments Please turn over for an article about the City Centre South plan

March 2012

Grange and Lodge in the 20th century have already been demolished. A single storey extension that was added to the Lodge building will be replaced with a two storey structure that matches the detailing of the principal Victorian structure. It is not currently proposed that any additions will be made to the main Grange building. Internally the building would require significant alteration to accommodate the new residential units but the exterior would be designed to appear as it did in the 19th century when it was occupied by the great industrialist Sir Richard Moon who was made a Baronet by Queen Victoria for his services to the rail industry.

Residential permission In order to achieve the restoration and conversion of both Copsewood Grange and Lodge, the developer needs to secure revised planning permission that allows for residential use on the land concerned. The existing planning permission granted designates both the Grange and Lodge, as well as the land on the eastern half of New Century Park, for commercial and industrial use. This designation has puzzled the Coventry Society.

The land concerned contains a large number of protected trees (subject to Tree Preservation Orders or TPOs) which reflects the parkland nature of much of the land surrounding Copsewood Grange and Lodge. It is difficult to comprehend how large industrial units or storage warehouses could be situated within such a landscape. In the Society’s view, the land is far better suited to residential use and we wholly support the change of use sought by the developer.

Façade: The west front of the Grange today showing some of Campaign the security measures in place to keep vandals at bay The Coventry Society has for years campaigned fiercely for the preservation and reuse of Copsewood Grange and Lodge.

New plans We have gained support from national campaigning groups SAVE The latest plans show that the developer intends to convert Britain’s Heritage and the Victorian Society. The former Copsewood Lodge into a single private residence, with the included Copsewood Grange in its last annual publication of its Grange being converted into approximately 14 residential units. Buildings at Risk catalogue which highlighted the plight of the The Grange would comprise a minimum of two bedroom building at national level. apartments and possibly four bedroom apartments depending The Coventry Society has appeared numerous times on local upon market demand. The developer’s view is that the radio station BBC Coventry & Warwickshire as well as in the residential units within the Grange would constitute Coventry Telegraph newspaper to highlight the plight of the ‘aspirational’ housing and for this reason smaller one bedroom building. We also instigated an online petition calling for the units would be avoided. preservation and reuse of the buildings which, to date, has just The Birmingham branch of national Archial Architects has been under 300 signatures in support. appointed to prepare the scheme for restoration and Alongside our campaigning efforts we have worked conversion of the Grange and Lodge. The lead architect, Simon constructively with the developers Goodman & British Land and Crosby, is himself a Coventrian having been raised and educated also with the Local Planning Authority and the city’s in the city. It is pleasing that a Coventry kid will play a key role Conservation Officer. It is therefore extremely satisfying to in the future of two of the city’s historic gems. learn that our efforts have not been in vain and that we may just The architects’ plans show a complete restoration of both have helped to secure a future for Copsewood Grange and buildings with the aim of reinstating the integrity of the original Lodge.

Victorian design. Extensions that were added to both the Stuart Daniel After years of concern over the future of Copsewood Grange and Lodge, the Coventry Society is delighted to learn that the owners and developers of New Century Park, Goodman and British Land, have unveiled plans to secure the restoration and refurbishment of these important locally listed buildings.

In advance of submitting a formal planning application for the new plans, Goodman & British Land hosted a public exhibition at the Copsewood Sports Club off Allard Way on February 29 and March 1, 2012. Committee members of the Coventry Society were invited to meet with the developer and architect to review and discuss the latest plans. A Design Forum will be held later this month to consider the plans further prior to the formal planning application being submitted.

When the City Centre South comes on stream in the next five years our central shopping will have taken a significant step towards achieving its long term aims.

The City Council has been working in partnership with Aviva ‐ the other major landowner ‐ on the £300 million plan that will take in Bull Yard, Shelton Square, the City Arcade, Barracks car park and Hertfortd Street. The plans replace the ill starred Jerde Plan which was revealed to public consultation in 2009.

City Centre South is less ambitious but is partly inspired by the 1950s Gibson plan acknowledging the iconic cross layout but with better connections to Market Way, Hertford Street, IKEA and the market. It also looks forward ‐ ensuring integration with other regeneration projects like Friargate at the station and the transformation of Broadgate as the city's main events square.

Consultation

Coventry City Council, the Friends of Allesley Park and the Allesley Park Walled Garden Group are undertaking a public consultation to help plan the future of a hidden garden that once served the needs of Allesley Hall.

The exercise will enable an agreed vision for the garden that will guide future planting plans, the use of the garden and its overall design.

The Walled Garden is a plot of 1.4 acres within the 97 acres of the main park on the west side of Coventry. It was left to the city council to manage Revealed: for the benefit of the citizens of An artists impression of Coventry as part of the Iliffe Bequest. the Retail Market emergA quarter of the walled garden is ing out of the backlands maintained by the Allesley Park into a new high quality Walled Garden Group using street. A new café is traditional methods and with many shown spilling out onto plants common to the Georgian the pavement from the period when the garden was circular building constructed. The group organise educational events and activities during the year including a very popular produce market on the third Saturday of each month during the growing season. The Friends of Allesley Park help maintain some As the 11th largest city in the UK (and 9th in England), Coventry ranks 49th in the retail flower beds in the rest of the Walled ranking according to spend, lagging behind other similar centres in terms of the quality Garden. The consultation will help and range of shops. According to the latest national statistics available for 2010, shoppers determine future uses and design spent £510 million over the year in Coventry ‐ this compares to £1,030 million in Cardiff choices and might alter the area (the 12th biggest city) and £1,810 million in Nottingham ranked as the 14th biggest city. under cultivation, increase the The plans that will be submitted for outline approval include a new anchor store, a 1,200 educational potential of the garden, space car park, cinema complex, hotel, apartments, new and refurbished retail units and alter the number of trees or the reintegration of the market into the scheme. provide more facilities for events.

Like the Jerde plan the new plan has retail units designed to attract the big stores and Paper copies of the questionnaire are quality brands that shoppers would expect to see in a centre as large as Coventry. There is available at Allesley Village Post Office some concern that the plan overlooks the needs of small independent retailers in parades or on the Council’s website. like City Arcade. We look forward to a dialogue that we hope will remedy that important The consultation closes on March 18. aspect of our city centre.

A new 120,000 square foot anchor store is located towards Bull Yard and will provide retail over three floors. It has been positioned and designed to maximise its appeal to all the top retailers ‐ and includes a new car park. A nearby hotel will include shops below and the cinema will be at first floor level ‐ with restaurants at ground floor level.

Another key aspect we see as very important is a design brief for frontages especially in the Hertford Street area where historic buildings like the former post office have survived.

The detailed outline plan will be submitted in April with a decision some time in early Autumn 2012.

The plans with a number of pictures are available on the Council’s website. Perhaps the simplest way to find the pdf pages would be to Google ‘Coventry City Centre South’.

Coventry Society 123 Upper Spon Street, Coventry CV1 3BQ Tel: 07855 113973 Email: campaigns@coventrysociety.org.uk Follow us on twitter @covsoc

More news and views on our website: www.coventrysociety.org.uk