Three spires, the transport museum, 2Tone, cathedral ruins and a fantastic new cathedral, large pedestrianised shopping precinct, loads of decent bars, nice restaurants, wave pool. music museum, Coombe Abbey, Godiva statue, The Herbert, Memorial Park, theatres, cinemas, sports grounds, loads of historic buildings, history of the thriving car market in the 60s, the indoor market, so much more I've not listed and as much as any other City.
What have the Romans ever done for us?
Arguably Elliotts Field has trashed the town centre too. M&S moved out as a result and,from being OK for a small-ish town, it's now a wasteland in the centre really.Rugby population is nearer 100,000, not 60k.
Having lived in both, I think you have conveniently glossed over Rugby’s problems and it’s town centre. I lived there for 18 years and have recently left.
All towns and city’s have similar pros snd cons. A shopping centre certainly doesn’t make a Town or a city.
Of course Cov City centre has its issues, and part of that was the 'futuristic' planning post-war that has proven to be unsuccessful (and warnings were given about it, but at the time it did prove popular). Much of the residential was moved out and so the city centre lost being used as a community hub. The increase in student accommodation has rectified that a bit, though can be seasonal. The ring road (while useful) was badly designed and massively puts people off. I'm sure a similar city centre bypass could have been designed that was less intrusive and used up less space. The precinct was OK (though they stuffed up the design of the split levels), but when the initial design got ruined by stuff like the escalator, Cathedral Lanes etc it lost its main appeal. The recent changes have made it more like it was envisioned and so might actually become more popular again, though it will probably have to move on from being solely retail and into entertainment/leisure and dining.Rugby borough area is 100,000, not Rugby town. Nuneaton is a bigger town. Rugby town population is nowhere near 100,000 .
Rugby town centre has suffered in part because of the redevelopment of Elliott fields and Junction 1
Coventry city centre has been utterly crap since world War 2. Awful planning. Lack of investment. For a fairly major city it's pitiful.
Excellently written SBD, a very good read with some well thought out ideas/solutions to make the city centre a more appealing experience.Of course Cov City centre has its issues, and part of that was the 'futuristic' planning post-war that has proven to be unsuccessful (and warnings were given about it, but at the time it did prove popular). Much of the residential was moved out and so the city centre lost being used as a community hub. The increase in student accommodation has rectified that a bit, though can be seasonal. The ring road (while useful) was badly designed and massively puts people off. I'm sure a similar city centre bypass could have been designed that was less intrusive and used up less space. The precinct was OK (though they stuffed up the design of the split levels), but when the initial design got ruined by stuff like the escalator, Cathedral Lanes etc it lost its main appeal. The recent changes have made it more like it was envisioned and so might actually become more popular again, though it will probably have to move on from being solely retail and into entertainment/leisure and dining.
The history of the city and its heritage buildings are spread out, due to both bombing and planning, so you can't create that olde worlde feeling and benefit from tourism, and being stuck slap bang in the middle of the country isn't enticing.
Some of it though has been due to the way the fortunes, size and layout of the city. Coventry has Birmingham as a bigger competitor, so many brands will go there first. With the industry going tits up in the 80s/90s the earnings of the residents wasn't high enough to attract high end retailers. High earners in Cov move to Warwick/Leamington/Kenilworth and so higher end retailers go there.
A lot of the industry that closed left huge areas of the suburbs derelict and so to provide jobs these became retail parks and offices, moving traditional city centre businesses out and thus the city centre became unused. Ironically, the one retailer that absolutely suits a retail park is IKEA, yet we moved that into the centre, which was utter madness. Even stuff like C&W Hospital moving took away some footfall, as did CCFC moving.
I've got a load of ideas that I'd do given the chance, especially Broadgate and the Precinct, but most importantly I think we need:
1. look to close some of the retail and office parks (esp. Central Six) and entice these retailers back into the city centre. This would then free up land in the suburbs for housing.
2. Look at ways to redesign the RR so it isn't so offputting and intrusive, psychologically cutting the city centre off from the rest of the city and reducing the number of people that use it. I'd also consider looking at ways to alter the junctions so that some are dedicated to joining the ringroad whilst others just go into town.
3. On a similar note, complete the outer ring road to the north west, reducing pressure and traffic on Holyhead Road, Allesley Old Road etc. Also look at opportunities to widen the roads that link to the ring road.
After that I'd consider connecting those roads that dead end due to the ringroad together (i.e. connecting Lower Holyhead Road to Spon St) and placing buildings next to the ring road to reduce its impact.
Cost wise the next one would be unfeasible, but moving the older buildings to an area near the three spires to create a heritage zone which would enable the city to better sell itself as a historic place. Could also be used as an educational Living Museum with a retail aspect of selling items made.
Three spires, the transport museum, 2Tone, cathedral ruins and a fantastic new cathedral, large pedestrianised shopping precinct, loads of decent bars, nice restaurants, wave pool. music museum, Coombe Abbey, Godiva statue, The Herbert, Memorial Park, theatres, cinemas, sports grounds, loads of historic buildings, history of the thriving car market in the 60s, the indoor market, so much more I've not listed and as much as any other City.
What have the Romans ever done for us?
Agree with the vast majority of this and I would also include a way of linking the city centre to the canal basin as that area is criminally overlooked and really could have potential.Of course Cov City centre has its issues, and part of that was the 'futuristic' planning post-war that has proven to be unsuccessful (and warnings were given about it, but at the time it did prove popular). Much of the residential was moved out and so the city centre lost being used as a community hub. The increase in student accommodation has rectified that a bit, though can be seasonal. The ring road (while useful) was badly designed and massively puts people off. I'm sure a similar city centre bypass could have been designed that was less intrusive and used up less space. The precinct was OK (though they stuffed up the design of the split levels), but when the initial design got ruined by stuff like the escalator, Cathedral Lanes etc it lost its main appeal. The recent changes have made it more like it was envisioned and so might actually become more popular again, though it will probably have to move on from being solely retail and into entertainment/leisure and dining.
The history of the city and its heritage buildings are spread out, due to both bombing and planning, so you can't create that olde worlde feeling and benefit from tourism, and being stuck slap bang in the middle of the country isn't enticing.
Some of it though has been due to the way the fortunes, size and layout of the city. Coventry has Birmingham as a bigger competitor, so many brands will go there first. With the industry going tits up in the 80s/90s the earnings of the residents wasn't high enough to attract high end retailers. High earners in Cov move to Warwick/Leamington/Kenilworth and so higher end retailers go there.
A lot of the industry that closed left huge areas of the suburbs derelict and so to provide jobs these became retail parks and offices, moving traditional city centre businesses out and thus the city centre became unused. Ironically, the one retailer that absolutely suits a retail park is IKEA, yet we moved that into the centre, which was utter madness. Even stuff like C&W Hospital moving took away some footfall, as did CCFC moving.
I've got a load of ideas that I'd do given the chance, especially Broadgate and the Precinct, but most importantly I think we need:
1. look to close some of the retail and office parks (esp. Central Six) and entice these retailers back into the city centre. This would then free up land in the suburbs for housing.
2. Look at ways to redesign the RR so it isn't so offputting and intrusive, psychologically cutting the city centre off from the rest of the city and reducing the number of people that use it. I'd also consider looking at ways to alter the junctions so that some are dedicated to joining the ringroad whilst others just go into town.
3. On a similar note, complete the outer ring road to the north west, reducing pressure and traffic on Holyhead Road, Allesley Old Road etc. Also look at opportunities to widen the roads that link to the ring road.
After that I'd consider connecting those roads that dead end due to the ringroad together (i.e. connecting Lower Holyhead Road to Spon St) and placing buildings next to the ring road to reduce its impact.
Cost wise the next one would be unfeasible, but moving the older buildings to an area near the three spires to create a heritage zone which would enable the city to better sell itself as a historic place. Could also be used as an educational Living Museum with a retail aspect of selling items made.
I would knock down the halls and the Britannia hotel down and move the gem that is Whitefriars thereExcellently written SBD, a very good read with some well thought out ideas/solutions to make the city centre a more appealing experience.
The RR is a problem but with clever redevelopment could be used to showcase all that is good from a higher vantage point.
Take the new cathedral.... there's those awful halls of residence in Fairfax Street not to mention the much maligned Britannia Hotel that completely obscures one of the finest buildings of the 20th century. Knock the whole lot down and lets see Sir Basil Spences's masterpiece in all its glory.
The Registry Office in New Union Street...hidden behind all those vile offices. Why?
I could berate the town planners for their awful designs and ideas over the years until the cows come home but I'm mindful that this primarily is a football forum so I'll shut up but not before saying this, although I don't live in Coventry anymore I'm a true Cov kid and I'm proud of our city, warts and all.
What developments have there been inside the ring road exactly over the last, say, 30 years that really entice people into Coventry city centre ? An ice rink ?Well the Census details were 70K for Rugby Town in 2011, and the previous ten years had seen a 14% growth, so I think its safe to say the town population is around 80K, so we have met in the middle.
I cant see how you can excuse Rugby's poor town centre whilst criticising Coventrys.. The internet, and out of town shopping centres have contributed to the demise of Town/City Centres. Coventry's has similarity to Poole's right on Bournemouth's doorstep.
They are what they are. I would rather see the positives than take side swipes.
Spot on. Far too many minor projects that just don't attract enough people. I'd remove the ring road, bulldoze the whole of the precinct and broadgate, including Hertford Street and the bull yard.Of course Cov City centre has its issues, and part of that was the 'futuristic' planning post-war that has proven to be unsuccessful (and warnings were given about it, but at the time it did prove popular). Much of the residential was moved out and so the city centre lost being used as a community hub. The increase in student accommodation has rectified that a bit, though can be seasonal. The ring road (while useful) was badly designed and massively puts people off. I'm sure a similar city centre bypass could have been designed that was less intrusive and used up less space. The precinct was OK (though they stuffed up the design of the split levels), but when the initial design got ruined by stuff like the escalator, Cathedral Lanes etc it lost its main appeal. The recent changes have made it more like it was envisioned and so might actually become more popular again, though it will probably have to move on from being solely retail and into entertainment/leisure and dining.
The history of the city and its heritage buildings are spread out, due to both bombing and planning, so you can't create that olde worlde feeling and benefit from tourism, and being stuck slap bang in the middle of the country isn't enticing.
Some of it though has been due to the way the fortunes, size and layout of the city. Coventry has Birmingham as a bigger competitor, so many brands will go there first. With the industry going tits up in the 80s/90s the earnings of the residents wasn't high enough to attract high end retailers. High earners in Cov move to Warwick/Leamington/Kenilworth and so higher end retailers go there.
A lot of the industry that closed left huge areas of the suburbs derelict and so to provide jobs these became retail parks and offices, moving traditional city centre businesses out and thus the city centre became unused. Ironically, the one retailer that absolutely suits a retail park is IKEA, yet we moved that into the centre, which was utter madness. Even stuff like C&W Hospital moving took away some footfall, as did CCFC moving.
I've got a load of ideas that I'd do given the chance, especially Broadgate and the Precinct, but most importantly I think we need:
1. look to close some of the retail and office parks (esp. Central Six) and entice these retailers back into the city centre. This would then free up land in the suburbs for housing.
2. Look at ways to redesign the RR so it isn't so offputting and intrusive, psychologically cutting the city centre off from the rest of the city and reducing the number of people that use it. I'd also consider looking at ways to alter the junctions so that some are dedicated to joining the ringroad whilst others just go into town.
3. On a similar note, complete the outer ring road to the north west, reducing pressure and traffic on Holyhead Road, Allesley Old Road etc. Also look at opportunities to widen the roads that link to the ring road.
After that I'd consider connecting those roads that dead end due to the ringroad together (i.e. connecting Lower Holyhead Road to Spon St) and placing buildings next to the ring road to reduce its impact.
Cost wise the next one would be unfeasible, but moving the older buildings to an area near the three spires to create a heritage zone which would enable the city to better sell itself as a historic place. Could also be used as an educational Living Museum with a retail aspect of selling items made.
At the tube station a big group we’re singing “London’s expensive, I want to go home” made me laughThe fulham’s a shithole was of course a joke. Afterwards a handful at the top started singing “in your west london slums” of course in irony
Love Bournemouth and visit regularly but it is full of gangs of drunks and druggies who do hassle you from time to time even in the daytime.Bournemouth is nicer than Cov to be fair
Yeah last time i was down there for a break the town was full of them, pissed up ar 9 in the morning, a shadow of the place i went as a kid.Bournemouth has a fantastic set of beaches and just a stones throw from Studland and Swanage on Purbeck. Town itself is full of dossers. Even 20 odd years ago when I lived there. No one is actually born and bred it seemed. Chancers from all over the country who thought it was better being on the dole in the sun than in Liverpool, Manchester or Birmingham
My dad is bigger than your dad.
My club is bigger than your club.
My love is bigger than your love.
Our grpund is bigger than your ground.
FFS it's like the Jeremy Vine Show on here sometimes.
I agree entirely about connecting the canal basin, and they did/do have plans for removing the bridge for an at-level crossing, which would help. part of the problem is that you barely know the basin is there because of Leicester Row, but they're part of the original buildings and unlikely to be removed. Whole basin area is now a conversation area.Agree with the vast majority of this and I would also include a way of linking the city centre to the canal basin as that area is criminally overlooked and really could have potential.
I would also move all of the shops out of Broadgate (plenty of room in West Orchards) and just have restaurants, bars, coffee shops etc. alongside the boom battle bar, the escape room etc.
This will then naturally get footfall to link down to the Empire, Catch 22, Fratelli’s, The Yard etc and also round to Turtle Bay and the Slug Lettuce.
Also, will then link to the Burges with the Cov Cross, Downtown and then leading around to, Philip Larkin, Cafe Morso, the micro brewery etc and then on to Spon Street and the Sky Dome. It could really bring Cov’s nightlife ‘together’ which it desperately needs.
As Travs has said further up though, Coventry, unfortunately, is still miles behind most similar cities in the region but it 100% is improving and if the council can get it right they could really get the city centre thriving again.
I think the RR would need a similar sort of system, just one that's less intrusive and offputting. But as it is is detrimental to the city centre. They had that plan for the Swanswell Initiative a number of years ago that flattened the whole section between J1 and 3. Real shame that never happened because if it had I'm sure we'd have seen a lot of improvement and further plans to deal with the other sections.Spot on. Far too many minor projects that just don't attract enough people. I'd remove the ring road, bulldoze the whole of the precinct and broadgate, including Hertford Street and the bull yard.
Spon Street was a good idea but it goes nowhere and those buildings should be moved to the cathedral area to create a heritage centre. It could be really good but of course it will never happen !
Yeah last time i was down there for a break the town was full of them, pissed up ar 9 in the morning, a shadow of the place i went as a kid.
For a city of its size its pretty poor imo.
Has all of the negatives of most large cities, and few of the positives.
Pains me to say it, but of all the large cities in this vague region.... Leicester, Birmingham, Nottingham, even Sheffield... its got the least to offer.
Well that's a great slogan for attracting investment and visitors to Cov....
"Coventry... its better than Middlesborough and Luton"
For every Nottingham and Sheffield, you have Bradford, Stoke, Middlesbrough and Luton...
There's many, many worse cities/towns that are similarly sized to Coventry.
Well that's a great slogan for attracting investment and visitors to Cov....
"Coventry... its better than Middlesborough and Luton"
don’t get the Sheffield thing I thought it was horrible when I went there
Well, I can understand Birmingham.And the many other places.
Classic 'I hate the place I'm from' mentality.
Even people from London, Manchester and Birmingham slate where they are from. I don't get it.
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