Article on town centre development (2 Viewers)

[Grendel]

It has created lots of dead end streets which lead to nowhere and created parcels of awkward land. Look at the difference in the area around the station since they broke the barrier, much much better.

Its dreadful as you say the station walkway makes it look normal

 

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[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

To lose the ring road would be a bit like Brexit,IMO
An idealistic act of folly.

I want to keep the route, I just think the raised sections are very ugly and act as a psychological barrier for people to cross, especially pedestrians. Have thought about whether you could split the junctions so some only go into the city centre while others only connect to the ring road.

The biggest problem is the roads it connects to though. West side needs an outer ring road between A45 and M6 to act like the A46 does to the east. After that they need to connect the roads that got cut off like Spon St and Holyhead Road to each other and build parallel to the ring road so there aren't so many dead ends.

 

[Sky_Blue_Dreamer]

I would personally keep the ring-road. It is unique.

"Strangling the city centre" is not something i necessarily agree with.... it defines it well, and given that city centres appear to be "dying" generally, i think there is plenty of current city centre space which could/should be revamped as a higher priority.

Maybe the question is "why is it unique?"

If somethings good others are very quick to copy it.

 

[chiefdave]

Plans for a huge city centre entertainment venue and bar have been refused by Coventry City Council. A company had made a bid to open a 'high-end' leisure facility at West Orchards Shopping Centre.

Smithford Social would have been based on the second floor of the former Debenhams store on Smithford Way. A planning document revealed that the proposed venue would have had a bowling alley and an indoor golf course.

Must be saving the site for another pound shop, certainly don't want anything fun that might bring visitors into the city centre

Plans refused for golf centre and bowling alley in former Debenhams store

It would have been based on the second floor of the former Debenhams store

www.coventrytelegraph.net

 

[Nick]

That actually would actually be pretty decent!

 

[fernandopartridge]

Must be saving the site for another pound shop, certainly don't want anything fun that might bring visitors into the city centre

Plans refused for golf centre and bowling alley in former Debenhams store

It would have been based on the second floor of the former Debenhams store

www.coventrytelegraph.net

Just an utterly bizarre decision, the council still live in a dream world of city centres being retail led

edit: having read it it appears the applicant was trying to obtain plans for something that was beyond what they could under a lawful development certificate, so they just need to submit a full planning application

 

[clint van damme]

Waiting to see if wasps want it

 

[shmmeee]

Town desperately needs things that attract people in. Yes West Orchards is a bit far away but where else could you put something that size?

 

[Nick]

Town desperately needs things that attract people in. Yes West Orchards is a bit far away but where else could you put something that size?

It isn't actually that far from the Skydome etc.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Is there some sort of activity type bar at Cathedral Lanes?

 

[Nick]

Is there some sort of activity type bar at Cathedral Lanes?

Yeah there's a battle bar there now. Haven't been in but has stuff in there.

Then there's Teezers up by the Sky Blue Tavern for Crazy Golf.

 

[shmmeee]

Yeah there's a battle bar there now. Haven't been in but has stuff in there.

Then there's Teezers up by the Sky Blue Tavern for Crazy Golf.

It’s not really the same. Just a room with axe throwing a couple of tiny crazy golf holes and things like that. Nothing like the scale of Teezers.

 

[Nick]

It’s not really the same. Just a room with axe throwing a couple of tiny crazy golf holes and things like that. Nothing like the scale of Teezers.

Ah is it no good then?

Most of the good activity type places you need to go to Brum really.

 

[shmmeee]

It isn't actually that far from the Skydome etc.

But that’s Coventrys problem IMO. The town centre isn’t that big but there’s no concentration of bars really that I can see. A couple by the sky dome/soon street, a couple by high street/cathedral lanes, a couple by the bill yard, a couple elsewhere. Needs concentrating so you don’t have to go trekking through darkened precinct to go between them. And means there’s little street life.

 

[shmmeee]

Ah is it no good then?

I went axe throwing and beer pong. The beer pong was pretty crap, could’ve just stayed at home. The AR darts looks quite good. Axe throwing was OK but expensive for what it is and there’s someone there sucking all the fun out. A mate got kicked out for throwing the axes too hard.

 

[Nick]

I went axe throwing and beer pong. The beer pong was pretty crap, could’ve just stayed at home. The AR darts looks quite good. Axe throwing was OK but expensive for what it is and there’s someone there sucking all the fun out. A mate got kicked out for throwing the axes too hard.

Then again flight club in brum is fully booked for months. Not sure the darts would be as good as there.

Think people do want more activity bars nowadays.

 

[Robinshio]

I went on the train to reading, 1st visit to cov station since Covid - have to say that the new station building is abysmal - Not even able to buy a cup of coffee there - need to walk down to the old part where the starbucks is still open
better access, but once there it is poor

 

[Otis]

I went on the train to reading, 1st visit to cov station since Covid - have to say that the new station building is abysmal - Not even able to buy a cup of coffee there - need to walk down to the old part where the starbucks is still open
better access, but once there it is poor

Places are lined up to open. Sainsbury's and a coffee place. They are advertising for staff now, but not sure when they are going to open. Once they do, it will be much better. At the moment it's just a big open space.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

But that’s Coventrys problem IMO. The town centre isn’t that big but there’s no concentration of bars really that I can see. A couple by the sky dome/soon street, a couple by high street/cathedral lanes, a couple by the bill yard, a couple elsewhere. Needs concentrating so you don’t have to go trekking through darkened precinct to go between them. And means there’s little street life.

Hmm. St Mary's Street in Cardiff did it like that...

Maciej Dakowicz - Cardiff After Dark | LensCulture

Cardiff – the capital of Wales. An average British city you could say. But there is one quite unusual street, called St Mary street. Filled with shoppers, commuters and office workers during the week days, it transforms itself into a party stage on every Saturday night. Sooner or later most...

www.lensculture.com

 

[shmmeee]

Hmm. St Mary's Street in Cardiff did it like that...

Maciej Dakowicz - Cardiff After Dark | LensCulture

Cardiff – the capital of Wales. An average British city you could say. But there is one quite unusual street, called St Mary street. Filled with shoppers, commuters and office workers during the week days, it transforms itself into a party stage on every Saturday night. Sooner or later most...

www.lensculture.com

 

[Deleted member 5849]

View attachment 27756

It's a bloody war zone there now!

 

[Deleted member 5849]

That, incidentally, was one research project I politely turned down - going into pubs late in the evening, and asking drunk people why they were drunk...

 

[shmmeee]

I mean if you want to ban or limit alcohol sales then that’s a whole other thing. But as we’re allowing them and drunk people already exist I actually think concentrating them a bit would be easier to police

 

[Deleted member 5849]

I mean if you want to ban or limit alcohol sales then that’s a whole other thing. But as we’re allowing them and drunk people already exist I actually think concentrating them a bit would be easier to police

Well what it did in Cardiff was make the street a living hell, as opposed to the nice atmosphere across the city centre it used to have. That also drove out certain elements from going out for a meal or a drink, and therefore exacerbated the social disorder.

Coventry goes (went? Haven't actually been out in Coventry since pre Covid!) the other way, it really does become a ghost town after a certain hour and that gives the feelings of dark, oppression, sinister unknown menace... even if it isn't there.

There's a happy balance, and shoving everything in the same place is not it!

 

[shmmeee]

Well what it did in Cardiff was make the street a living hell, as opposed to the nice atmosphere across the city centre it used to have. That also drove out certain elements from going out for a meal or a drink, and therefore exacerbated the social disorder.

Coventry goes (went? Haven't actually been out in Coventry since pre Covid!) the other way, it really does become a ghost town after a certain hour and that gives the feelings of dark, oppression, sinister unknown menace... even if it isn't there.

There's a happy balance, and shoving everything in the same place is not it!

You can have a couple of ateas aimed at different demographics. It’s just all very sparse right now and especially the precinct in the middle just feels as you say dark and sinister.

But I think a bit of life and drunkenness isn’t the end of the world in one of those places. That’s what some people want. Just like others want a bit more restraint. Can’t we have both?

 

[Deleted member 5849]

You can have a couple of ateas aimed at different demographics. It’s just all very sparse right now and especially the precinct in the middle just feels as you say dark and sinister.

But I think a bit of life and drunkenness isn’t the end of the world in one of those places. That’s what some people want. Just like others want a bit more restraint. Can’t we have both?

There's a difference between life and drunkenness, and civil war. As I say, Cardiff is a fine example!

Rather than divide into areas (ghettos?) the better thing would be to offer one or two options on the tour from around Cathedral Lanes and that side, to Spon Street. So where BHS used to be would be a fine site for some kind of pub / club for example. Then you get people moving, and you get balancing out where the drunkards are among other slightly less drunkards, and it becomes alive without the threat. The threat in Coventry City Centre is more perceived than anything, so you need to get people moving around there - safety of crowds kind of thing.

As opposed to a fancy dress version of Beirut.

 

[shmmeee]

There's a difference between life and drunkenness, and civil war. As I say, Cardiff is a fine example!

Rather than divide into areas (ghettos?) the better thing would be to offer one or two options on the tour from around Cathedral Lanes and that side, to Spon Street. So where BHS used to be would be a fine site for some kind of pub / club for example. Then you get people moving, and you get balancing out where the drunkards are among other slightly less drunkards, and it becomes alive without the threat. The threat in Coventry City Centre is more perceived than anything, so you need to get people moving around there - safety of crowds kind of thing.

As opposed to a fancy dress version of Beirut.

Cardiff is a capital and maybe a hen do destination (?) though. I’m not sure Coventry would be the same. Closest we’ve got weirdly is Far Gosford which feels threatening as all hell.

 

[Deleted member 5849]

Cardiff is a capital and maybe a hen do destination (?) though. I’m not sure Coventry would be the same. Closest we’ve got weirdly is Far Gosford which feels threatening as all hell.

It may be nostalgic, but my time remembering Cardiff at its best was before devolution at least, and it is the same kind of size as Coventry. It used to have the Astoria etc on the main shopping street, so would be like having a major club where Debenhams lived or somewhere, meant the life was there all the time.

I blame Otis for Far Gosford Street. I've ventured into FarGo a few times after he recommended it when it opened - always been deserted. In daytime, the shops were closed and seemingly opened at random - at night, it was indeed threatening as hell! I just don't rate the brewery there either, although others seem to.

Before it got 'gentrified' I remember going into a pub along there, and the barman sodded off and left us to it(!)

 

[fernandopartridge]

I went on the train to reading, 1st visit to cov station since Covid - have to say that the new station building is abysmal - Not even able to buy a cup of coffee there - need to walk down to the old part where the starbucks is still open
better access, but once there it is poor

They're putting a Black Sheep Coffee and a Sainsburys in soon so it will get a bit better

 

[fernandopartridge]

You can have a couple of ateas aimed at different demographics. It’s just all very sparse right now and especially the precinct in the middle just feels as you say dark and sinister.

But I think a bit of life and drunkenness isn’t the end of the world in one of those places. That’s what some people want. Just like others want a bit more restraint. Can’t we have both?

The best thing to do is to make places mixed use, Coventry zoned the city centre and created a dead black hole right in the middle of the city. At least along Smithford Way there is now a collection of restaurants (had a lovely vietnamese meal in one the other week), in the new City Centre South area i'd expect more of that, a mix of retail and leisure.

 

[wingy]

Teezers has to be a lapdance venue doesn't it?

 

[Otis]

It may be nostalgic, but my time remembering Cardiff at its best was before devolution at least, and it is the same kind of size as Coventry. It used to have the Astoria etc on the main shopping street, so would be like having a major club where Debenhams lived or somewhere, meant the life was there all the time.

I blame Otis for Far Gosford Street. I've ventured into FarGo a few times after he recommended it when it opened - always been deserted. In daytime, the shops were closed and seemingly opened at random - at night, it was indeed threatening as hell! I just don't rate the brewery there either, although others seem to.

Before it got 'gentrified' I remember going into a pub along there, and the barman sodded off and left us to it(!)

Oi!!!

I love Fargo. You just need to go when they have events on and then it can get quite crowded.

When it's deserted it's like a ghost town.

 

[Otis]

I do agree though, when Fargo is dead, it is quite depressing there.

 

[Nick]

Half the shops there aren't consistent with opening times. A few times I have tried to take my daughter to the crystal shop, always closed. Website and Google says it should be open.

 

[LastGarrison]

There's a difference between life and drunkenness, and civil war. As I say, Cardiff is a fine example!

Rather than divide into areas (ghettos?) the better thing would be to offer one or two options on the tour from around Cathedral Lanes and that side, to Spon Street. So where BHS used to be would be a fine site for some kind of pub / club for example. Then you get people moving, and you get balancing out where the drunkards are among other slightly less drunkards, and it becomes alive without the threat. The threat in Coventry City Centre is more perceived than anything, so you need to get people moving around there - safety of crowds kind of thing.

As opposed to a fancy dress version of Beirut.

Beirut is a great night out…..