The Reserved Matters planning application for the first phase of City Centre South has been submitted and is awaiting Council approval.
Development partners, The Hill Group and Shearer Property Group have submitted the application, which would see 991 new homes built in phase one of the development, 200 of which would be affordable.
The buildings in the £450 million scheme will be set around a series of squares, landscaped areas, communal gardens and a children’s play space.
There would also be 8,000sqm of new commercial space, all set within 17,000 sqm of public open space.
The mixed-use development received outline planning consent in January 2022 but has faced recent schedule setbacks, some due to changes in the Building Regulations. As a result of the Grenfell Towers fire all tall building now have to have two fireproof “cores”.
The 20% affordable housing has been funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority and not by the developer as is normal practice. The developers have demonstrated that the scheme is not viable if affordable housing and other public services normally associated with large developments, are included.
The scheme will give Coventry a high rise city centre, fundamentally different from the original plans of Donald Gibson and Arthur Ling. The highest block in Phase 1 is 27 storeys.
The Coventry Society is pleased that the scheme has rescued and re-used most of the public art that was in the areas to be demolished.
Its public art strategy will include installing to-scale replicas of the History of Coventry mural from Hertford House and fibreglass panels by world-renowned artist William Mitchell.
There will also be a new pavilion building opposite Coventry Retail Market to house the listed Three Tons “mural”. Other artwork will be relocated to public locations across the development site.
Coventry Society member Aaron Law, who has been dealing with developers for over a year working on the public art strategy, said he was pleased with the plans.
Phase two of the development, which will be constructed if phase one is a success, would see more commercial space and up to 584 more homes.
Subject to planning permission, work on site is finally expected to start next summer with the first homes delivered by the end of 2026.
You can look at the application here. However please be aware that there are over 230 documents, plans and elevations to look at.
