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.
NatWest branch at 34-36 Earlsdon Street in 2017 by Bill Dunn, Earlsdon Research
Group
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 18 th
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 3 rd August 2026 showing
changes to the materials and design to be employed, following which on 10 th 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 13 th 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 13 th August 2026 meeting can be accessed here:
https://edemocracy.coventry.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=147&MId=13769