In August 2022 we reported on the Council’s consultation on the local listing of nine buildings / heritage assets in the city.
On Friday 24th February, the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities is deciding on whether to proceed with the listing. The officers’ recommendations in relation to each of these proposals is as follows:
Allesley Hotel, Birmingham Road, Allesley
The officers’ report recommends the local listing of parts of the building that front Birmingham Road but not the other parts of the hotel.
Former Coronet Cycle Works, Far Gosford Street
The officers’ report recommends that this building be added to the Local List. The report supports the Coventry Society assertion that the importance of the city’s motoring heritage should be recognised in listing decisions.
St Columba’s Church
The officers’ report supports the local listing of this important building, which was submitted for listing by the Coventry Society.
42 Britannia Street
The officers’ report recommends that this building is NOT locally listed – “The erosion of architectural detail and form at lower levels of the façade, limited contribution to wider local character, alongside the already established consideration of ‘setting’ to the neighbouring Binley Oak Public House, together suggest that the nomination is not promoted to the local list of heritage assets.”
151 Far Gosford Street
This application, for the former Paris Cinema, was submitted by the Coventry Society, but the officers’ report recommends that the building should not be added to the Local List. Planning permission has already been granted to demolish the building to construct another student block but it is proposed to retain the façade within the development.
Charles Ward and George Eliot Building
The officers’ report recommends that these Coventry University buildings NOT be included on the Local List – “on balance, the existing neighbouring designations establish due conservation oversight in the planning system, alongside some erosion of quality of the structures and the consideration of the social narrative contribution of the wider campus.”
No. 1 New Union Street
The officers’ report recommends that the Salts tobacconist building NOT be listed. “A local listing designation however is unable to preserve the buildings current use, to which key elements of the nomination are grounded within, and indeed preservation of such elements in situ may inhibit future uses of the property.
“Furthermore, the nature of the nomination being in respect of a singular element of a wider and cohesive terraced form introduces some ambiguity in any such designation being applied, where remaining elements of the terrace known as ‘The Union Buildings’, key to the assessment in regard to elements of historic interest in architectural design, would not be included in such a designation.
“As such, whilst conservation conclude that some elements of historic interest exist at No. 1 New Union Street, the local listing designation of the received nomination, is not recommended as the most appropriate process by which to respond to these elements.
Optical Art Mural, Bull Yard
The officers’ report recommends that the Council does not include the Optical Art Mural in Bull Yard on the local list. The artwork is due to be destroyed as part of City Centre South. “Whilst it is noted that the period of the mural reflects that of the wider development of the Bull Yard and may contribute to the wider understanding of townscape as a result, its contribution in this sense is assessed to be limited, and no greater than other elements of public art in the vicinity. Additionally, and key in the recommendation, the work has not been established to have drawn from a distinct local narrative, for these reasons the Mural is not recommended to be included onto the local list of heritage assets. “
Sir Guy and the Dun Cow Sculpted Relief
The officers’ report recommends that this important sculpture is not granted local listing status. “The nomination is seen to meet a number of the criteria for local listing; however, officers suggest that recognition of the piece within the wider collection of public art in the city may be better delivered through the Councils forthcoming Public Art Strategy, this position is further reinforced through the existing planning context which affords the piece recognition, alongside principles of how the piece may be integrated within forthcoming proposed regeneration.”
The Coventry Society is disappointed that only three of the nine submitted heritage assets have been recommended for inclusion on the Local List, although one other may be protected through the development process (Sir Guy).