Coventry Society Newsletter - January 2015

Three presentations: The River Sherbourne Project Coundon Wedge—a country park?

Belgrade Square Junction improvements

Monday, January 12 at 7.30pm Shop Front Theatre, City Arcade Visitors welcome light refreshments

Design briefs, architect-led design and the loss of independent retailers were just some of the issues brought to the attention of Councillor Kevin Maton, Cabinet Member for Business, Enterprise and Employment, during a recent meeting, convened after our position statement on the Local Development Plan in our November newsletter had been noticed by the councillor. Our representation had expressed surprise that finance was the driver for the development plan.

Replying to our concerns Cllr Maton first of all explained that the driver for the growth of the city is the need to grow the Council Tax base. The Council aspires to be like Solihull that is much less dependent on Government grants. This would mean additional new homes and businesses paying Council Tax and Business Rates. He said currently the skewed housing distribution in the city,

Independent small traders: like T.J. Rowland in Spon Street are the mainstay for small retailers in the centre with its concentration of Council Tax Band A and B, is part of the problem that needs to be addressed. Hence the desire for more higher band houses.

He also explained that population

forecasts were not ‘fickle’ but were the best estimates of experts in the field.

He stressed that the projections were not the target, but the maximum that would be permitted.

We raised the question of protecting the green belt. He appears to be confident the Council could restrict and control development in the Green Belt through a phasing policy while there is a five-year supply of development land elsewhere.

In response to a question about the rural fringe farmland known as Coundon Wedge, he said the Green Belt Study will be published in February 2015 and this will identify which sites should be protected.

Turning to lack of design guidance, we described some recent issues such as the redevelopment of the City Engineers Depot at Bishopgate Green that hardly reflects the character of the Coventry Canal Conservation Area, and the recent artist impressions for a proposed high rise development on the former Post Office Sorting Office site right next to the historic Lady Herbert’s Garden Conservation Area. We said results would be a sharp contrast to Electric Wharf and the Fargo Village, both sites developed in sympathy with their surroundings. Cllr Maton explained that there are no resources available in the Planning Department for design guidance.

Fees just about covered the cost of planning applications but there isn’t even sufficient funding to provide enforcement.

However he did agree that he would like to see a design guide produced and agreed the Society and Council should work together on it.

We also raised the question of better forward planning for the small independent trader in the city centre and once again Cllr Maton replied positively, suggesting the Society might identify possible sites for businesses with a view

January 2015

to funding development through the Coventry Investment Fund.

This is a fund that provides low rates of interest for any enhancements that increase the Business Rate income to the Council by putting under-used assets to more effective use.

We outlined the Society’s concerns for the proximity of bus services at the Railway Station where a new bus hub is being proposed on the Centre Six shopping side of Warwick Road and remote from the main station entrance.

We also asked about references to rapid transit in the Development Plan Options Paper.

Cllr Maton revealed that a figure of eight route was envisaged covering the Arena and hospital in the north and the university in the south, adding that something has to be done to solve access to problems. We couldn't agree more.

In conclusion the Society has been asked to draw up a written plan with the

Post-war: Much Park Street still lined with domestic scale buildings in the 1950s.

The city needs to develop more street scenes like this to complement the trend towards the modern impersonal block promise of working together on the all important matter of the design process and ways of retaining and expanding independent retailers in the city centre.

This will be a priority for 2015.

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

The Society is about to nominate two city developments for a Civic Voice Community Design Award, the inaugural year of the scheme. In the category for public realm schemes we shall put forward the recently completed Council House Square.

And less than one mile away, another outstanding project at Far Gosford Street—the FARGO creative village, recently opened in a series of old buildings that have been converted and re-used.

Both schemes are the brainchild of Coventry Kids—Colin Knight who returned to the city four years ago to take up the post of Assistant Director of Planning, Transport and Highways.

And Ian Harrabin, Managing Director of Complex Developments who masterminded restoration of buildings in Far Gosford St. Freddie Gick, Chair of Civic Voice said “We are introducing the award with the aim of demonstrating that communities are prepared to accept new development – when the development responds to local needs and is of a high standard of design.

The civic society movement is focused on delivering high quality places and these awards are a great way to do that while encouraging collaboration between communities and developers on a local level.”

The end of September saw the opening of the Fargo Village that has drawn on the experience of other cities with a bohemian quarter. It is now established around a marketplace for designer makers, fine and performance arts. The concept is a low budget version of the more corporate festival marketplace regeneration of US cities pioneered by the Rouse Corporation in the 1980’s, and has similarities to the early regeneration of the Christmas: crowds of shoppers Camden Lock area of enjoying the fes ve atmosphere London at the same time. Coventry and indeed the Midlands didn’t have a quarter that would reflect this focus on design and creativity. Now with Fargo’s market and entertainment facility already becoming an Eat or Die: One of the many attraction for crea ve retailers at FARGO weekend families, it has also become a cool place to hang out and to visit. Fargo is growing from a small base, focusing on the young with non-institutional products, and is already proving itself with its alternative and creative/artistic wares, street food, live performance and art shows. Cool!

The recent completion of a new square in front of the Council House has provided a perfect setting for one of the city’s most attractive historic buildings. Now large areas of landscaping, including new grassed areas and shrubbery extend up to and around the Council House itself. Wider pedestrian areas have been created using high quality sandstone paving - the same as paving recently completed at High Street.

Perfect: se ng for one of the city’s The introduction of a most a rac ve historic buildings new one way system along Little Park Street, Earl Street, Much Park Street and St John's Street, makes better use of space by reducing the road width throughout the scheme. And the road has been resurfaced in high quality buff De-clu ered: the buff road surface, colour tarmac.

The area has been landscaping with low-level signage de-cluttered by removing the traffic signals with new low-level signage on cube bollards. Two new zebra crossings have been provided near High Street and The Herbert Art Gallery.

Altogether a pleasing scheme.

Contacts Postal address: 77 Craven Street, Coventry CV5 8DT Chairman’s tel: 024 7640 2030 Email: info@coventrysociety.org.uk If Twitter is your thing, you can follow us at https://twitter.com/#!/CovSoc We also have our own page on Facebook.

You can also follow us there at http://www.facebook.com/CoventrySociety

I came across this historic photo showing Earl Street opposite the Council House in the 1960’s when the city centre had many temporary retail premises.

A new Civic Centre block, (the roof of which can be seen above Gibberds) had just been completed. It makes an interes ng contrast with the modern picture above showing the same block beyond the blue car.

Keith Draper