More than a year has passed since the illegal demolition of a historic building on Earlsdon Street in Coventry, yet the community is still in the dark about the future of the site. Now the Conservative Group at Coventry City Council is demanding answers over what happens next for the former NatWest bank building.
Situated within the Earlsdon Conservation Area, permission would have been required before the building could be demolished. The Council was adamant that no such permission had been granted and issued an emergency ‘stop notice’ in response. However, the developer subsequently appealed to the Planning Inspectorate and there has been no public update since – despite evidence gathering reportedly being complete by June 2025.
At the time the local community were outraged by the demolition, which was compared to the destruction of the ‘Crooked House’ pub, in Staffordshire. ‘Britain’s wonkiest pub’ dating back to 1765 was demolished without consent, prompting a national outcry and calls for it to be rebuilt.
Many traders, shoppers and residents also raised fears about the safety of scaffolding, and the structural stability of the adjacent buildings. These concerns were reported to the Council, the Health and Safety Executive and West Midlands Fire Service. However, each organisation claimed it was the responsibility of another body and refused to intervene.
Cllr Gary Ridley, Leader of the Coventry Conservative Group, has now submitted a written question to the Cabinet Member which will be considered at Full Council on Tuesday 13th January. He is seeking an update on the status of the appeal and wants to know why the Council has yet to respond to a petition he submitted in March 2025.
Commenting ahead of the meeting, Cllr Ridley said: “It has been nearly a year since this unauthorised demolition and yet the public has heard nothing. What is the status of the appeal? Are the Council putting pressure on the Planning Inspectorate? And why haven’t they responded to the petition? These are the questions I’m getting from residents, and it’s time we had answers. There needs to be a robust response to this flagrant breach of planning law. If not, what is there to stop other developers from doing the same thing again?”
As part of that ‘robust’ response, Cllr Ridley believes the building should be restored in some form, with original features such as detailed ornate brickwork reinstated at the developer’s expense. He has also questioned the effectiveness of the Earlsdon Conservation Area designation and is calling for stronger protections.
