On Thursday 13 th August 2026, a meeting of the Planning Committee was held at which a decision was taken to allow application no PL/2026/0000534/FUL, granting permission for the construction of a two-storey commercial unit on the site of 34-36 Earlsdon Street.
By way of background, proposed development of a commercial unit at this site was previously allowed on 26 th September 2023, when an inspector appointed by the Secretary of State allowed an appeal (APP/U4610/W/22/3311446 ) lodged by Mr Ali of Ascot Property Ltd, which he had lodged in the light of a rejected planning application FUL/2022/1683 dated 31 st August 2022.
Under the terms of this decision, the applicant was granted permission to proceed with his plans to build both ground and first floor extensions to the rear of the existing property – formerly a bank – subject to a number of conditions including the following:
“Notwithstanding the notations on the submitted plans and documents, the details of all external facing materials including the glazing for the roof shall be submitted to and agreed in writing with the local planning authority. Thereafter, the external facing materials shall be installed in accordance with the approved details.”
After the commencement of the works associated with this development, matters took an unexpected turn during the festive season at the end of 2024 when it became apparent that the great majority of the original structure including nearly all of its frontage had been demolished.
In response to this, the Council imposed a stop notice to prevent any further work on the site, which decision was endorsed by the Coventry Society in writing on 18th February 2025. In response, the developer lodged a further appeal to the Secretary of State objecting to the Council’s action, which again the Coventry Society supported in a written representation dated 8 th May 2025.
Most recently, in March 2026 a new application (PL/2026/0000534/FUL) was lodged in respect of the now near-vacant site to build a new structure to replace the demolished original, with by implication a brand-new frontage. In response, in June 2026 the Coventry Society lodged an objection on the grounds that the materials and design employed were not in keeping with those used in the area.
Interestingly, subsequent to this objection the details recorded in the planning portal make clear that revised building plans were lodged on 3rd August 2026 showing changes to the materials and design to be employed, following which on 10th August 2026 a report recommending acceptance of the application was issued by the Principal Town Planner Richard Edgington, in which he laid out a number of
conditions stipulating – amongst others – that materials from the original frontage would need to be incorporated into the new frontage and that details of other materials to be used would have to be “submitted to and approved in writing by the Local Planning Authority”.
In responding to this report, the Coventry Society member responsible for submitting the Society’s objection commented as follows:
“The planning officer seems to have done a good job in getting the plans revised. The front elevation drawing, submitted one week ago, containing the latest revisions, is certainly more in keeping with the area with the addition of the pilasters and corbels and the signage zone matching adjacent premises.
This plus the change in the windows and roof tiles provides an acceptable outcome.”
Against this background which has been beset by repeated applications and appeals, not to mention considerable debate and controversy, it is surely not surprising that during the meeting on 13th August 2026 the final vote on the application was tied at three in favour and three against, with the Chair in the person of Councillor Angela Hopkins using her casting vote to accept the application.
However, the decision taken in respect of the proposal for the development related only to a judgment on the validity of the application on its own merits. Furthermore, in the course of the submissions made during the meeting it was emphasised that the site in question is still subject to planning enforcement, given what in his report Richard Edgington described as the “unlawful demolition” of the original building in a conservation area.
Accordingly, it remains to say the least a moot point as to how the stop notice as well as the subsequent appeal lodged by the developer will impact upon on any attempt to progress work on the site at 34-36 Earlsdon Street.
Please note that full details including documents made available to the Committee and webcasts of the meeting on 13th August 2026 meeting can be accessed here.