Coventry Society Newsletter October 2016

A Coventry City Council press release reveals that Pepper Lane linking High Street to the Cathedral Quarter is about to be improved with “wider pavements, Carnaby Street style lighting, new planting and the restoration of some well-loved public art.” This is clearly a much needed improvement in a street dominated by service areas and an empty space.

Might we see active frontages again in Pepper Lane?

The e e t appli aio T i it Mi o G oup fo outli e pe issio to ede elop la d o upied the fo e Co e t E e i g Teleg aph oi es is g eat ause fo o e . This la d a k uildi g is lea l a i teg al pa t of the Co po aio St eet s e e o plei g the easte side of Belg ade S ua e ith its G ade II listed theat e. The th ee-sto e uildi g has a sig ii a t o e a opied e t a e a d as o pleted i .

Its ele aio s, t pi al of the pe iod, o i e West o la d slate details ith T a e i e sto e pa els a d o t asi g i k, the hole ele i g f o tages i the ea shoppi g P e i t.

I esse e Co e t So iet elie es that uildi gs like the fo e E e i g Teleg aph should e put to e use. A ia le futu e should e ide iied fo ou post- a uildi gs, athe tha o ii g the to de oliio a d ede elop e t.

Co e t is k o the o ld o e fo its g ou d- eaki g pedest ia p e i ts, d a up the it ’s i st a hite t Do ald Gi so . While o e e e t de elop e ts ha e ha ged so e pa ts of the shoppi g a ea, these uildi gs f o the ities a d si ies e a sill etai thei i teg it a d ohesio . Co po aio St eet itself ith its Co e t Co-ope ai e So iet sto e a d a aded uildi gs o oth the o th a d side of the tho oughfa e ai tai that i teg it .

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October 2016

The ha a te isi s of the Co e t E e i g Teleg aph fo e p e ises a e ote o th . I te esi gl the uildi g follo s the u e of the st eet, espe iall isi le i the olo ade o Co poaio St eet pi tu ed a o e . Its g ou d loo oi es p o ided a i e f o tages fo those alki g the pa e e t. A i po ta t ele e t of a st eet.

The uildi g also has a i po ta t histo i o te t. Its o igi al o e s, the Ilife fa il , e e p i te s a d pu lishe s f o espo di g to Co e t ’s e e gi g i dust ies. O e of the i st pu li aio s as The Indispensi le Bi y lists Hand ook. Late W.I.Ilife fou ded the it ’s i st dail pape i a d e to to pu lish The Auto ar pe iodi al, i st u e tal i epeali g the High a A t that e ui ed a a ith a ed lag to p e ede a oto ehi le. A g ou d eaki g o pa th oughout its histo , i the Ilife’s pape i t odu ed olou p i i g that ga e the Teleg aph a lead i the dail e spape ield.

To o lude, the fo e e spape uildi g is ot o l a i teg al pa t of the a hite tu e of Co po aio St eet ut has a lo g histo of aio al i po ta e i the o e ship of se e al ge e aio s of the Ilife fa il .

Fo these easo s the uildi g should ha e a e life athe tha e lost to ede elop e t.

Contacts

with Jim Passmore and John Payne Monday, October 10 at 7.30pm Shop Front Theatre, City Arcade Light refreshments Non-members £2

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

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

Da e He le , Chief E e ui e of A ts Cou il E gla d , as i to at the e d of “epte e to see fo hi self the Fesi al of I agi ee s, its thi d a ual e e t i the it a d a p odu io the “hop F o t Theat e.

E e ts that took pla e at Fa go as ell as i the athed al ua te e e o side ed a i e a hie e e t.

Da e Heale t eeted ate a ds, Te ii da e Pe fo a e at Fa go Village pe fo a e a d ualit a t i u e pe ted pla es .

Right a oss the ou t he has isited a e e ues looki g at a iio a d i o aio i st ha d. Clea l he’s i te ested to see ho a t a d ultu e a ake a i po ta t o t i uio to ou aio al e o o , to ou o u iies, a d to the li es of o di a people.

He said: As ell as gai i g a o e i i ate k o ledge of E gla d’s ail et o k tha I e e thought possi le, I’ e see so e t ul a azi g o k. M jou e a ou d the ou t has helped e to ete u de sta d ho ou a ts e olog o ks, a d I elie e e’ e o the a to ealisi g a isio i hi h e e o e a ha e a ess to the est a t e a ake.

His isit to Co e t as oppo tu e as e look to A o ai s i P io “t eet o pete fo the itle City of Culture.

Also o his ii e a as a isit to The Co e t Musi Museu , o Walsg a e Road.

The useu has e ei ed a i e-out-of-i e ai g f o isito s ho p aised the f ie dl a d el o i g staf a d thei g eat olle io of e o a ilia .

Ate a ds M Heale also t eeted Fas i ai g to lea o e a out Co e t 's i p essi e a d i lue ial usi he itage toda at @TwoToneCentral The Co e t Musi Museu .

De elope s ha e ee efused pe issio to ake sig ii a t ha ges to thei o app o ed pla s fo a 95- ed oo stude t o ple at the fo e Allied Ca pets shop f o i g Belg ade “ ua e. The a e ded pla su ited se e al o ths ago ould ha e see a e pedest ia li k th ough the uildi g f o “ ithfo d Wa to Co po aio “t eet e o ed a d i stead epla ed ith a stude t g .

Fo a ea s e ha e put fo a d the o ept of a ete li k et ee the pedest ia p e i t to Belg ade “ ua e a d the o igi al appli aio ould di e t shoppe s a d isito s a oss a e pedest ia ossi g to the theat e, estau a ts a d us depa tu e shelte s. Hopefull the de elope ill o go ahead ith the o igi al pla fo etail u its a d the e alk a o the g ou d loo .

A isio a pla to li k the Cha te house He itage Pa k ith Co e t U i e sit a d the it e t e ight ell e o p o ised u less ag ee e t a e ea hed ith o e of the ke la do e s. Dai C est, ake s of Cathed al Cit heese, ho ha e a depot alo gside the Ri e “he ou e i Ha pe Road, appea to e ead to oload the site.

But the thousa d dolla uesio is, ho ill the e p epa ed to sell to.

A e e t appli aio fo stude t lats ould e tai l spoil the oppo tu it to eate a li ea pa k alo g the est side of the i e a k, that ould e o e a g ee o ido , a d i lude oth pedest ia a d le outes. The li ea pa k pla p o oted Histo i Co e t T ust ould lea l e a at a i e o ept fo the it . A at a i e esou e ith i e se e eits fo the e i o e t. “o hat is the alte ai e pla ?

Ia Ha a i e plai ed: I see the o p ehe si e de elop e t of the Ha pe Road site as a e o oi e pa k p o idi g oi es fo sale to “ME s all a d ediu sized e te p ise usi esses, pa i ula l i the eai e a d ICT i fo aio a d o u i aio s te h olog se to s. We a e o ki g ith the U i e sit o this to p o ide g o o spa e f o the Te h oPa k. It is also esse ial fo Fa Gosfo d “t to ha e o e oi es to de elop full as a eai e ua te . The e is a lot of oi e de a d a d the oi es a e eeded to p o ide eai e o ke s ge e ai g the e o o i spe d fo the lo al shops a d estau a ts.

The e also is a othe ke easo fo doi g the oi es as it is i teg al to the se u i g of fu di g fo the li ea pa k.

The Lo al E te p ise Pa t e ship is e u h jo output a d e o o i g o th d i e , so ithout the jo s eated the oi es e a e u likel to se u e the g a t fo the li ea pa k.

While the pla fo stude t a o odaio ight ell ealise a ete i a ial etu fo Dai C est e elie e that the o e idi g fa to is hethe o e stude t a o odaio is est fo the site o the p o isio of a e te sio to hat is al ead a su essful Te h opa k.

Couple that ith spi of e eits like the g ee o ido .