Coventry set to get a new indoor bowls venue - despite road safety concerns

Coventry is set to get a brand new indoor bowls facility after a razor-edge vote settled narrowly in favour of the controversial plans.

The city council’s planning committee voted by four to three in favour of plans for the new facility to be built at Avenue Bowls Club in Gaveston Road.

It follows months of protests by residents and the committee voted to defer the decision twice, in July and September, due to concerns over its location.

The committee was presented with two petitions – one signed by 228 people urged councillors to reject the plans due to concerns over potential traffic and parking problems, while another, signed by 118 people asked the committee to consider other locations for the facility.

There is an existing bowls club on the site, and the plans will see an indoor bowling rink with changing rooms and toilets built on the site of the all-weather pitch and allotments. The car park will also be remodelled to increase the number of spaces from 32 to 42.

One committee member described the plans as presenting a ‘lack of ambition’ for Coventry – but another urged colleagues to be mindful that if the application was refused without good reason, an appeals process could prove costly to the city council.

Coventry City Council is pumping £2.05m into the new venue, as the current facility at the leisure centre is due to close. The scheme forms part of a wider sports strategy for Coventry, and the committee heard that it is hoped national competitions will be able to be staged there.

Cllrs Pervez Akhtar, Naeem Akhtar, Dr Randhir Auluck and committee chairman Cllr Lindsley Harvard all voted in favour of the application.

Why are the plans so controversial?

There’s been a number of applications relating to an indoor bowling green and changing accommodation at this site, including in 1969 when the bid was refused as it was deemed to be undesirable given its size, and concerns it would have an adverse impact on residents due to people arriving at and leaving the site.

Mark Andrews, planning policy manager at Coventry City Council, told the committee that planning guidance has changed since then.

In relation to the initial application made in April this year, more than 160 letters of objection were received, relating to increased demand for on street parking, congestion and highway safety concerns. It was also said to be an unsustainable location as it is outside of the city centre.

No objections were received from Sport England, highways, environmental protection, ecology and West Midlands Fire Service.

At the last meeting in September, councillors were ‘unconvinced’ a sequential test had exhausted all alternative locations. It emerged then that an offer by Coventry and North Warwickshire Cricket Club to house the venue had been ignored – but officers told the committee this week that Sports England would object to putting the facility there because it would lead to the loss of a netball court.

What did residents say?

Glenn Hartwell, who lives on Gaveston Road, said: “This isn’t about NIMBYism. Coventry should have a facility it can be proud of, that will allow for expansion and national competitions. This isn’t a premiership site – it’s more like the Third Division.”

Glenn Williams, ward councillor for Bablake, described the sequential assessment as a ‘smokescreen’ designed to convince the committee that it’s ‘acceptable to have it in a place that’s wholly inappropriate’.

“There are major safety concerns about this application and the impact it will have on local streets,” he added.

Rupert Walsh, speaking on behalf of applicants Atkins urged the committee to concentrate on the sequential assessment and issues relating to parking and access – the reasons for the two deferrals.

“No other sites were deemed to be sequentially preferable,” he added. “This is the only realistic option to ensure residents have access to indoor bowls once the existing centre is closed.

“Transport and highways teams continue to be in full support and the applicant has also agreed to a condition for a traffic management plan to control access to and from the bowls club.”

What did the committee say?

The committee was split on whether to support the application.

Cllr Allan Andrews said: “To me this represents a huge missed opportunity and lack of ambition as to what this venue could be for Coventry.”

Questions were also raised by the committee relating to public transport to and from the venue. Planning officers replied that there are seven bus routes within walking distance. In relation to questions on road safety, officers added that there have been two crashes in the past five years at the junction of Gaveston Road and Hollyfast Road and that neither caused any injuries.

Cllr Naeem Akhtar said: “I previously raised concerns about access, and I stand by those concerns. However, if we refuse this application based on just access, then that access will still be used by the club. Just refusing on the basis of access wouldn’t be fair.

“We have done everything possible to find a suitable alternative to this site and if we refuse it with no good reason I’m sure it will go to appeal, the appeal will be allowed and costs awarded which will have to be paid by the city council.

“I’m satisfied that officers have done everything possible to find an alternative venue, but unfortunately there is none.”

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