In July, the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport published the outcome of its inquiry into protecting the built heritage – Protecting built heritage: MPs call for ‘reuse first’ mindset to safeguard historic buildings and help hit new homes goal – Committees – UK Parliament. It has significant implications for Coventry and its neglected conservation areas and listed buildings such as the former swimming baths as well as iconic 20th century structures such as the elephant.
Four key points from the inquiry findings are:
- Government should adopt a ‘reuse first’ approach to unlock up to 675,000 new homes in neglected heritage buildings which is 45% of the national target of 1.5 million new homes over five years
- This will secure the long-term future of our historic environment
- Improving financial support for heritage properties such as reforming the VAT system which generally attracts a 20% rate on repairs to historic buildings
- A complex and inconsistent planning system, cost pressures and skills shortages are three major challenges in taking the reuse first approach forward.
So, what does this mean for Coventry?
From a strategic planning policy perspective, adopting a reuse first approach along with the existing brownfield first would give added protection from development for our green spaces and the green belt. It would also link to the Council’s modest successes in recent years in tackling empty properties through its strategy – Empty properties.
What are the opportunities? There are plenty of these such as:
- Spon Street conservation area where there are a growing number of empty historic buildings – many of which are owned by the Council
- Our heritage at risk register includes Bird Grove House in George Eliot Road, Park Cottage in Stoke Park and the topshops on Allesley Old Road
- Vacant and underused retail premises (especially the upper floors) in some of our conservation areas such as Earlsdon, Far Gosford Street and Spon End.
The most significant is our former swimming baths (a grade two listed building) and the adjoining former leisure and recreational building known as the elephant. The Council has recently been given listed building consent by the government to demolish the swimming baths. The future of this site and the elephant is, therefore, at best uncertain. Despite (or because of) the proposed demolition, there have been and continue to be ideas floated about the reuse of the swimming baths. For example, architecture students at Coventry University at their end of year show in May displayed some thought-provoking proposals. Previously, there was a fascinating proposal to repurpose the swimming baths as a retirement village comprising 80 self-contained flats, community spaces and facilities including a café and a restaurant as well as 24×7 support for residents.
There is, thus, not a shortage of ideas. What we need is a willingness on the part of the Council and other stakeholders (such as our two universities), housing associations (such as Citizen), the West Midlands Combined Authority and other interested parties including Coventry Society to work together to take forward innovative proposals for the former swimming baths and the elephant.
Of course, the same principle applies to the concept of adopting a reuse first approach for the city and for the examples listed above eg Spon Street conservation area.