Coventry Society Newsletter October 2017

A social history of working men’s clubs in Coventry presented by Dr Ruth Cherrington on Monday, October 9 at 7.30

NOTE VENUE: Royal Warwicks Club, Tower Street Refreshments tea/coffee

admission £2 for visitors

October 2017 The works of Mary Ann Evans who wrote under the pen name George Eliot are known around the world. She came to Coventry with her father in 1841 after he had been land agent to the Newdegate family at Arbury Hall. It was here at the family home, Bird Grove, she met well-known radical thinkers and activists - people like newspaper proprietor Charles Bray and writer Charles Hennell. In the Victorian society these figures brought new ideas to industrial and social planning, and to religious thinking.

Currently Bird Grove in George Eliot Road is empty awaiting a new lease of life having been the Bangladeshi Community Centre for some years. The building is Listed which means that its owner has legal responsibilities for it.

John Burton, Chairman of the George Eliot Fellowship sees it as a golden opportunity to create a literary centre.

He said: “I think it could be converted into a centre for literary studies, or European studies (George Eliot was above all a European writer and she travelled extensively all over the continent), or women’s studies, or extended learning, or arts group workshops.

“There is a long list of things it could become which could help to boost the cultural diversity of Foleshill and of the City.

“We in the George Eliot Fellowship believe the building is of international importance for its literary associations; English Heritage clearly think it of national importance since they listed it, even though the authorities appear to have sanctioned plastic window frames!”

The Society couldn’t agree more. The City has little or nothing to celebrate the life and works of this great author and Bird Grove would make a perfect site as our city takes great strides to be City of Culture in 2021. ►Her first novel was 'Adam Bede', published in 1859. Other novels include 'The Mill on the Floss' (1860), 'Silas Marner' (1861), 'Romola' (1863), 'Middlemarch' (1872) generally said to use Coventry references in its text, and there are many who think it is the finest work of fiction in English, and lastly 'Daniel Deronda' (1876).

At last we have a sense of enclosure on Hales Street and Millennium Square as the scheme by Complex Development Projects is completed.

Several previous attempts to secure a landmark development faltered, with the site remaining empty after the Smithfield Hotel was demolished.

Each of the three buildings provide us with contrasting front elevations.

Any observations or views on this long -awaited development?

At the September monthly meeting the truth behind the current High Speed railway was explained by Colin Elliffe BSc CEng MICE. As Engineering Principal of HSUK, the presentation described how his alternative to HS2 could provide a joined up rail system that would reach every major town in the heartland of the UK. It seems our fears are justified as HS2 was clearly shown to have failed to meet most of its own objectives.

Read more overpage in Colin Walker’s report.

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.

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

Fo se e al ea s o a of us ha e suspe ted that the pla s fo HS e e ha dl the est fo a to s a d ities a oss the UK. Coli Elliffe’s p ese tatio at last o th’s eeti g e ealed ho ou suspi io s a e i deed justified a d that HS has failed to eet ost of its o o je ti es. His alte ati e HSUK appea s to ha e a ad a tages pa ti ula l fo ou o it .

He e plai ed that HS as p oposed to the atio as a s he e to eju e ate B itai , p o idi g a high speed ail li k et ee Lo do a d the a ufa tu i g hea tla d of this atio . I this it has failed; the passe ge ti es f o Lo do to Bi i gha HS ill e u h ui ke though jou e s f o Co e t to Lo do o West Coast Mai Li e a e likel to e fe e a d slightl slo e ; The e as supposed to e a li k to Heath o hi h has ste iousl disappea ed. As osts e t up the p oposed HS li k to the ha el tu el as also a a do ed.

The idea as to sp ead the ealth of Lo do a oss the atio ut the e is a ast a a of s ie tifi p oof that o e ti g t o g eat odies of e e g togethe esults i the la ge o e i easi g to the det i e t of the s alle .

Failure HS appea s to ha e failed i all its ajo e ui e e ts; its e efits a e that it pushes a huge a ou t of ealth i to the ha ds of a e fe o pa ies a d people a d agg a dises Lo do . The p ese t se i es et ee Lo do a d Bi i gha a e likel to e slashed thus lea i g a s alle ities, espe iall Co e t , i li o la d. It ill ho e e edu e t affi o the southe spu of the West Coast Mai li e a d e a le a oe o ute t ai s f o Milto Ke es a d a ea i to Lo do . Lo do i s agai ; e suffe .

Coli elie es that I this ti isla d kph t ai s a e a o se se. The also e ui e e t e el la ge a ou ts of e e g to a hie e these speeds a d a e e i o e tall u f ie dl .

Multiple links I his p ese tatio o the alte ati e HSUK he des i ed useful i p o e e ts to u e ous e isti g ju tio s, ei state e t of a fe useful li ks that e e e o ed Bee hi g a d p o isio of a t ue odal s ste di e tl o e ti g at least idla d a d o the ities. Coli de o st ated ho the e ould ’t e a ajo to i the hea tla d of the ou t that ould ot e efit f o the HSUK s he e.

Huge benefit Coli ’s pla is fo a fou t a k supe ail f o Lo do to Glasgo , takes a oute east of the Pe i es, so a oidi g the o u atio s of Bi i gha a d Ma heste /Li e pool.

I po ta tl it li ks i to se e al o the ities o its oute.

It also ei states the li k to the Cha el Tu el li e se si le ea s a d i ludes li ks to Heath o a d Gat i k; it does e e thi g that HS as supposed to do a d a lot o e.

HSUK ould help eju e ate a ufa tu i g a d ealth- eatio a d has ee esti ated to ost £ illio less.

It ould also e o st u ted i itesize hu ks a d o se ue tl o e i to use ea lie .

B e it ill e o e a d fo gotte i fi e ea s. HSUK ould e of e efit to the atio fo at least t o hu d ed ea s.

It is fa too i po ta t to get it o g. Re uildi g ail a s does ot happe ofte . This o e ust e ight. .highspeeduk. o.uk/ The HSUK e add ess is http:// .highspeeduk. o.uk/do u e t-li a /i de .ht l Colln Walker

The e e t spate of et ospe ti e appli atio s fo o e sio of flats to Houses i Multiple O upatio HiMO's at Poppleto Close eig ites the de ate a out Co e t 's poli o HiMO's. Th ee of the a e k o to ha e ee efused at Poppleto Close.

Po e s a e a aila le to lo al autho ities to li it the u e of HiMO's to p e e t a eas of fa il housi g e o i g do i ated stude t lets. Nu e ous othe to s a d ities ha e take these po e s. Co e t CC has o side ed it a d ot a ied it out. The ost as esti ated at £ , a d this ould e a easo fo ot pu si g the pla i a ti e of se e e uts.

Ho e e , the efusal of appli atio s at Poppleto Close, a d the likel efusal of si ila appli atio s i the sa e de elope t, suggest that CCC a ha e to spe d a lot o e tha £ , defe di g a appeals a d e fo i g estitutio .

Purpose-built At the sa e ti e, o e , stude t oo s a e pla ed o e e tl uilt a ou d the it e t e. This should a elio ate the de a d fo eside tial p ope t to e used fo stude t a o odatio .

We u ge CCC to i t odu e a poli to li it the o e sio of p ope t i this a . A sta ti g poi t ould e to sa "No o e". E eptio s ould e ade i desig ated st eets he e the o e sio of houses fo e tal is al ead so esta lished that the e is o pe a e t o u it left.

A pla i g offi e o e said "We' e uildi g the slu s of to o o ". This o sou ds hilli gl p opheti .

Parking A e e t ase highlights the eed fo the Cou il to e o side its pla i g poli ies. FUL/ / Hu e Road as a et ospe ti e appli atio fo a ha ge of use to A hi h i ludes hot food takea a s. It as efused, ightl i opi io . Ho e e , the a the appli atio as p o essed lea es the ou il ope to iti is . Fi stl , the o e t f o High a s as its usto a : “the High a s Autho it o side s that the i pa t of the de elop e t is ot se e e the efo e has o o je tio to the u e t p oposal’.

Custo e pa ki g is a p i e o side atio i appli atio s fo A use. Ma A appli atio s ha e ee efused o e the ea s he e the e is o p o isio fo pa ki g. T affi le els a e uildi g up agai afte a pe iod of little ha ge si e the fi a ial ash. With a g o i g it populatio e a e sta ki g up p o le s fo the futu e ig o i g the p o le of o e ehi les tha the e is spa e fo . Appli atio s fo stude t a o odatio a e outi el app o ed ith ze o p o isio fo stude t pa ki g o the false p e ise that stude ts do 't ha e a s a d do 't ha e isito s i a s. The poli that allo s app o al of su h appli atio s eeds to e e o side ed.

Se o dl , E i o e tal Health ag eed to the appli atio ith o ditio s, the ha ged its i d a d e o e ded efusal. The Cou il ill appea i a poo light if a appeal is ade.

Thi dl , a p e ious appli atio fo A use at the sa e p e ises as efused ut allo ed o appeal. The e appea s to e othi g that has ha ged si e the p e ious appli atio as app o ed o appeal. Agai , the ou il ill appea i a poo light if the e e t appli atio goes to appeal.

Les Fawcett