Coventry City Council has received an outline planning application for the residential development of this important iconic location [PL/2024/0001869/OUTM].
The key issue is whether the proposed development respects and enhances the heritage of the site. In 1896, the Daimler Motor Company, founded by H J Lawson, set up its manufacturing base on Sandy Lane (which was previously a textile mill) with the first models being launched in 1897. This is generally regarded as the start of the car industry in Coventry and the UK.
The site also is next to the Coventry Canal which opened in 1769 and is a conservation area. The canal enabled coal from the mines in North Warwickshire to be easily transported to Coventry so helping its industrial development and growth in the early 19th century. It also encouraged the enclosure of land close to the canal which later facilitated housebuilding in Foleshill
Currently the site comprises derelict factories and the locally listed Daimler Powerhouse building. Coventry Society previously published an article on the building [The Daimler Powerhouse: One of Coventry’s Hidden Industrial Gems – Coventry Society]. The users of the Powerhouse have and continue to make a major contribution to the vibrancy and culture of the city including the City of Culture legacy [Home – Imagineer Productions].
The outline planning application for Rainier Real Estate comprises:
- Up to 250 residential units
- Retention of the Daimler Powerhouse
- Access from Sandy Lane
- Pedestrian access to the canal footpath.
It is, of course, challenging to respond to an outline application that lacks the detail to make a comprehensive assessment. Nevertheless. Coventry Society has formally objected to the planning application. Our reasons for doing so are, principally, threefold:
- Greater focus on the heritage of the site: The beginning of the car industry, the Daimler powerhouse and its users, and the Coventry Canal should be at the centre of the proposals. Heritage and cultural events, for example, should be encouraged and facilitated on the site. Proposals for signage, interpretation panels etc simply do not go far enough.
- Residential development: We are not opposed to use of part of the site for housing, especially sustainable social rented accommodation, which is line with the existing planning policy, but the layout and design must fully reflect the heritage elements.
- Layout and design: This 2.69 hectare urban site deserves an appropriate iconic approach to layout and design. Current national policy for urban sites such as this calls for high density, mixed uses, and sustainability – the latter is especially topical because of City Council’s recently approved climate change strategy. The outline application provides insufficient detail on these important topics.
