Why is Coventry so crap? (37 Viewers)

[Samo]

We went to Fargo today. It was very nice, but unusually quiet.

Supposed to be a barbecue and deckchairs and a bouncy castle, but when we got there, there was just the bouncy castle.

Stayed there 5 and a half hours though. We're going to do the brewery, but left it too late and it was closed by the time we decided to give it a go.

I have heard that, lovely as it is, the place is not well run.

 

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[Otis]

I have heard that, lovely as it is, the place is not well run.

Agree.

When you talk to the store owners about stuff, half the time they don't seem to know what is going on.

 

[Samo]

Agree.

When you talk to the store owners about stuff, half the time they don't seem to know what is going on.

Yep, interesting, alternative, refreshing but poorly managed and that is a real shame because ultimately without good management it will fail.

 

[Otis]

Yep, interesting, alternative, refreshing but poorly managed and that is a real shame because ultimately without good management it will fail.

Maybe a job for the Fisher/Seppala dream team.

Do they need a Fargo style initiative in another county tens of miles away?

 

[Samo]

Maybe a job for the Fisher/Seppala dream team.

Do they need a Fargo style initiative in another county tens of miles away?

Well if they do TF/JS could certainly manage them out of existence.

 

[James Mudie]

The whole city is just a waste of time. No reason to go there. And, to top it off, the 'LONDON' wasps have taken over the ricoh because coventry can't afford the rent on their own. The best thing to come to Coventry in recent years though is Jodi Jones. MAN. MYTH. LEGEND.

 

[Nick]

Hi Jodi.

 

[Otis]

Or...

Hi Jodi's mum.

 

[richnrg]

The whole city is just a waste of time. No reason to go there. And, to top it off, the 'LONDON' wasps have taken over the ricoh because coventry can't afford the rent on their own. The best thing to come to Coventry in recent years though is Jodi Jones. MAN. MYTH. LEGEND.

is he a myth or a legend? Can't really be both.Even if you are his mum.

 

[wingy]

His gran .

 

[ajsccfc]

This trolling seems a hark back to an earlier, simple time. Definitely simple

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

Correct - it's the Centre. Places like Earlsdon, Eastern green are pleasant enough. I'm worried wants happening in Allesley Village but yes there are

What coventry has never ever attempted to do is encourage professionals into the centre. It's very well wrecking green belt land around the windmill hotel but why bother? No one who lives there will go to coventry to shop. I work with people who've worked in coventry for years but never set foot in the centre.

Absolutely agreed. I moved out of Coventry years ago to Rugby. Its a small town of around 50,000 with an out of town development called Junction1 Elliots Field that attracts loads for people from Daventry, Leicester, Leamington, Coventry.
Coventry could never do this without ballsing it up. Look at Hertford Street. As bad as anything Ive seen in the fag end parts of London and Croydon. Then you have the white elephant that is the canal basin, Fairfax street, the lower precinct then was done on the cheap, the upper precinct that needs bulldozing. The walk from the station along Warwick road looks promising until you hit the bull yard and then its like some apocalyptic nightmare all the way to the bus station which someone designed on the back of a fag packet. All neatly strangled by the ring road.
Nottingham and Leicester are far better city centres because of serious investment . Coventry city centre is just a serious, soulless mess .

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

Hi Jodi.

Hi.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Absolutely agreed. I moved out of Coventry years ago to Rugby. Its a small town of around 50,000 with an out of town development called Junction1 Elliots Field that attracts loads for people from Daventry, Leicester, Leamington, Coventry.

The downside is that Rugby town centre, after holding up relatively well compared to similar sized towns, is in danger of ending up the pound shop and charity shop hovel of others as shops like M&S move out...

 

[Alan Dugdales Moustache]

The downside is that Rugby town centre, after holding up relatively well compared to similar sized towns, is in danger of ending up the pound shop and charity shop hovel of others as shops like M&S move out...

That is absolutely true. Pure displacement. However I don't know what Coventry's excuse is. Big population which deserve far better than what they're being served up inside the ring road. Still, the ever increasing student population will solve all the problems.

 

[skybluetony176]

The downside is that Rugby town centre, after holding up relatively well compared to similar sized towns, is in danger of ending up the pound shop and charity shop hovel of others as shops like M&S move out...

In Danger? It's been like that for years. I talked to a local councilor who is a friend of a friend and asked him why they couldn't have done something to attract the shops that now frequent Elliot's Field into the town center and he said that basically they're not interested in traditional town/city center developments whatever they dangle in front of them, so it was allow Elliot's Field to be redeveloped or not have the shops that are there in Rugby. Ironically the reason that they don't consider town centers is apparently to do with parking and ease of getting there by car. Anyone who's been to Elliot's Field will tell you that the car parking is a nightmare and the Leicester Road is pretty much permanently grid locked at peak times because the redeveloped Elliot's field is there along with one of the busiest Tesco's in the country and the Central Six development too. Sometimes it's actually easier to get into town and park than it is at Elliot's Field.

 

[Otis]

Drapers' Hall to become a music venue.

Excellent news.

Historic city centre building to be turned into live music venue

 

[skybluetony176]

Don’t know if anyone has been to Zenia Boulevard in La Zenia, Costa Blanca, Spain but that’s what Coventry City centre needs. Knocking down and starting again in that vain. Everything including West Orchids. Cathedrals Lane especially. Open that all back up as green space bringing back the views of cathedral and everything else hidden behind it. In place of the precents and west orchard have a single story open air shopping centre with lots of open spaces and all the car parking underneath instead of all the monstrosities of multi-storey car parks. That’s what they’ve done in La Zenia and it’s bright and airy with no feeling of claustrophobia that I get in Coventry City centre. Doesn’t seem to have any problems attracting the big name brands and shops either. Open the river back up to

 

[Deleted member 5849]

In Danger? It's been like that for years.

No way near as bad. Sure, it had had a decline, but was holding up relatively well compared to, say, Nuneaton. The loss of M&S in the town centre has been a kick in the teeth however (along with Argos, although that's arguably unrelated) and probably means the likes of Dunelm are a bit more fragile there.

Now when you consider they have a relatively new town centre Asda, and a nice library building, it seems rather disjointed to then abandon the town centre. And if we're talking out of centre shopping parks then Coventry can do that too, but that's not really the issue.

Absolutely right about Elliot's Field being a nightmare btw. What planning genius let that happen? Not only that, but the spaces are rather small. I dunno, I guess we'll see but I can't help but feel they've managed short term gain for long term pain, once the lustre of newness wears off. It stops me going into the centre even, too, as the queue's all the way back to the roundabout by the town hall.

So I wouldn't mark Coventry out as exceptional, particularly. In smaller scale Rugby has exactly the same issues... with even less places to eat out! What they both need really is... strategy.

 

[Nick]

So many car parks have small spaces now, if you have a car that is a little bit wide you are struggling to get out Obviously the closer together the more spaces and the more money!

 

[Deleted member 5849]

So many car parks have small spaces now, if you have a car that is a little bit wide you are struggling to get out Obviously the closer together the more spaces and the more money!

It's again disjointed though isn't it (on a wider level). We get bigger cars while more of us have cars, so the number of people using a car goes down.

On a national level it'd be kind of interesting if they went Japan-lite, and offered massive tax incentives to people who had smaller cars.

 

[Otis]

So many car parks have small spaces now, if you have a car that is a little bit wide you are struggling to get out Obviously the closer together the more spaces and the more money!

It's ridiculous the amount of people who have really big cars.

Fine if you need one, but it just seems to be a status symbol to some

 

[Otis]

It's again disjointed though isn't it (on a wider level). We get bigger cars while more of us have cars, so the number of people using a car goes down.

On a national level it'd be kind of interesting if they went Japan-lite, and offered massive tax incentives to people who had smaller cars.

Totally agree.

Have we not still got that rule that was brought in whereby you pay less tax if your car is under a certain CC?

 

[Nick]

I'm not talking 4x4 or Range Rover as being too small but even with a Mondeo Estate sized car there is a struggle to open the doors even when you are bang in the middle and so are the cars either size.

I think 4x4's pay more tax don't they? I had a 3.2V6 which wasn't a jeep and that was the maximum car tax of about £550 I think.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Totally agree.

Have we not still got that rule that was brought in whereby you pay less tax if your car is under a certain CC?

It was emissions. Think it's changed again now, but my car's still assessed under the old system, so I don't really know

It'd be more interesting if things went truly hardcore though, as per Japan.

And I say that as someone who likes big-ish cars but yeah, I don't really need it. If they forced me into having to head for a smaller car, so be it. But of more importance would be to offer incentives for physical size. My Mitsubishi Colt was just about as wide as my current car, so I still couldn't get it in old old garages!

 

[Nick]

It was emissions. Think it's changed again now, but my car's still assessed under the old system, so I don't really know

It'd be more interesting if things went truly hardcore though, as per Japan.

And I say that as someone who likes big-ish cars but yeah, I don't really need it. If they forced me into having to head for a smaller car, so be it. But of more importance would be to offer incentives for physical size. My Mitsubishi Colt was just about as wide as my current car, so I still couldn't get it in old old garages!

Thats the thing, you can still get wide cars that struggle to fit in the smaller spaces even if they have shed loads less emissions than a smaller car.

 

[skybluetony176]

No way near as bad. Sure, it had had a decline, but was holding up relatively well compared to, say, Nuneaton. The loss of M&S in the town centre has been a kick in the teeth however (along with Argos, although that's arguably unrelated) and probably means the likes of Dunelm are a bit more fragile there.

Now when you consider they have a relatively new town centre Asda, and a nice library building, it seems rather disjointed to then abandon the town centre. And if we're talking out of centre shopping parks then Coventry can do that too, but that's not really the issue.

Absolutely right about Elliot's Field being a nightmare btw. What planning genius let that happen? Not only that, but the spaces are rather small. I dunno, I guess we'll see but I can't help but feel they've managed short term gain for long term pain, once the lustre of newness wears off. It stops me going into the centre even, too, as the queue's all the way back to the roundabout by the town hall.

So I wouldn't mark Coventry out as exceptional, particularly. In smaller scale Rugby has exactly the same issues... with even less places to eat out! What they both need really is... strategy.

It’s the bad design of the shopping centre in rugby along with the trend and preference of retailers for out of town shopping centres. Like you say the development around the library (which is excellent) and ASDA is disjointed from the rest of the town centre. Although a lot of the shops from the development have been empty since they were completed. It’s a shame because it would be a nice corner of the town centre otherwise. Clock Towers needs levelling really although it’s just changed ownership and they’ve spent a small fortune trying to polish the turd, needed a continuation of the area around Asda really much like the aforementioned Zenia Boulevard in Spain have all the car parking below and the shops above instead of the ugly multi-storey.

That’s been the problem with a lot of town/city centre redevelopments, they’ve been to narrow. It’s let’s do this corner here, a few years later let’s do this corner here, rinse and repeat. Councils end up chasing their tails because there’s no master plan for a complete area, they just keep papering over the cracks where and when they appear with no plan on what happens next. I know Coventry City centre was conceived as a master plan due to rebuilding after the war but let’s face it Coventry was a guinea pig for this type of thinking and the developers had no way of knowing about things like the motorcar becoming so dominant. It worked well when originally built but has dated badly in part because of the changing world.

 

[Otis]

It was emissions. Think it's changed again now, but my car's still assessed under the old system, so I don't really know

It'd be more interesting if things went truly hardcore though, as per Japan.

And I say that as someone who likes big-ish cars but yeah, I don't really need it. If they forced me into having to head for a smaller car, so be it. But of more importance would be to offer incentives for physical size. My Mitsubishi Colt was just about as wide as my current car, so I still couldn't get it in old old garages!

I have one of these. Hyundai.



Definitely a small car, but I can get 5 people in.

Sometimes when I am driving and see some of these drivers in these big cars, it's almost as if they are at the top of the stairs and I am at the bottom and I do find that many feel they are superior as a result of being 'bigger' and will refuse to give way and almost bully you into YOU doing so, because you have no other alternative other than to give way to them.

Pollution is still a big issue. Space is still a big issue.

Encourage smaller cars. Very simple really.

I park at the Belgrade Plaza car park and often the cars are so big they stick out into the pedestrian walkway and you actually have to walk into the path of cars to get round them.

Can't see building bigger spaces will work because of the aforementioned lack of space issue.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

That’s been the problem with a lot of town/city centre redevelopments, they’ve been to narrow. It’s let’s do this corner here, a few years later let’s do this corner here, rinse and repeat. Councils end up chasing their tails because there’s no master plan for a complete area, they just keep papering over the cracks where and when they appear with no plan on what happens next. I know Coventry City centre was conceived as a master plan due to rebuilding after the war but let’s face it Coventry was a guinea pig for this type of thinking and the developers had no way of knowing about things like the motorcar becoming so dominant. It worked well when originally built but has dated badly in part because of the changing world.

Agreed with the BiB. I do however actually think the old precinct idea could work, if we returned to its roots and stripped it back. You could still have just one floor of shops, and have flats above them on the second floor to inject a bit of life into the city centre..

Because one thing Coventry Centre doesn't do is let things get old. 50s architecture is not... great, but the best of it can work. And the brick built precincts are the best of it to my mind. It's simple, clean, crisp lines... and that's what needs to be built upon, rather than complicate things.

We just seem to throw buildings up randomly though, and do our best to obscure the older heritage too. What kind of monstrosity do they intend to put on Salt Laneto dwarf Ford's Hospital?!?

 

[Nick]

I have one of these. Hyundai.

View attachment 9347

Definitely a small car, but I can get 5 people in.

Sometimes when I am driving and see some of these drivers in these big cars, it's almost as if they are at the top of the stairs and I am at the bottom and I do find that many feel they are superior as a result of being 'bigger' and will refuse to give way and almost bully you into YOU doing so, because you have no other alternative other than to give way to them.

Pollution is still a big issue. Space is still a big issue.

Encourage smaller cars. Very simple really.

I park at the Belgrade Plaza car park and often the cars are so big they stick out into the pedestrian walkway and you actually have to walk into the path of cars to get round them.

Can't see building bigger spaces will work because of the aforementioned lack of space issue.

Oh yeah it does happen. I was driving a small car for a bit and it was quite funny how blokes would give it loads and I assume it was a woman then they see me sat in it like Wario. The amount of beef went up compared to in a bit of a bigger car.

I don't think it's the car owners fault really that they are making tiny parking spaces, I can understand if people are trying to get vans and Range Rovers into small spaces but when they can't fit an average estate car without them sticking out there's a bit of an issue.

All it means is that it will put people off parking there / going there if the carparks are a pain in the arse.

 

[wingy]

It's ridiculous the amount of people who have really big cars.

Fine if you need one, but it just seems to be a status symbol to some

It's a penis extension.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

when they can't fit an average estate car without them sticking out there's a bit of an issue.

While spaces do seem to have got narrower, your average estate car has undoubtedly got wider and longer.

Compare a Cortina estate to a Mondeo estate...

 

[Nick]

While spaces do seem to have got narrower, your average estate car has undoubtedly got wider and longer.

Compare a Cortina estate to a Mondeo estate...

Probably a good 20-30 inch difference.

I do see a Cortina Estate driving about with some massive alloys but dont think the wife would allow one

I never used to park in the Belgrade Car Park because it was a pretty nasty angle on the way in and had the potential to hammer your wheels if you didn't slow down to pretty much a stop and roll round slowly.

Dodgy car parks will put people off if the spaces are tiny, it's OK at places like the Ricoh Tesco as you can park further away if you need to.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Probably a good 20-30 inch difference.

I do see a Cortina Estate driving about with some massive alloys but dont think the wife would allow one

It's very worrying, but I kind of want a Hillman Hunter. GLS mind.

Would need a garage first mind, else I'd come out in the morning to a pile of rust granules.

 

[Grendel]

It's again disjointed though isn't it (on a wider level). We get bigger cars while more of us have cars, so the number of people using a car goes down.

On a national level it'd be kind of interesting if they went Japan-lite, and offered massive tax incentives to people who had smaller cars.

Yeah great keep the life out the aspirational achievers.