FSM


Feature


Wasps vow to press ahead with major development


Plans to build a 150-bedroom hotel on one of the Ricoh Arena car parks will proceed as planned – but there are some doubts about it’s readiness for Coventry’s year as city of culture. Last summer it was announced Wasps Holdings Limited (WHL) were granted a long lease of Car Park C outside the stadium by Coventry City Council to develop a new hotel. When open, it would


support events and conferences at the stadium itself, and across Coventry. The deal was approved,


and WHL entered a licence with the council, which runs until November 2019. This gave them until


November to apply for planning consent – with Wasps only able to enter into the new lease once planning consent is granted. When the news was first announced, one


leading council figure revealed there were hopes it would be “built and open” by 2021, when Coventry takes centre stage as UK City of Culture. But when asked if plans were still on track


to open for 2021, Wasps failed to answer the question directly – but confirmed they still intend to submit a planning application by late 2019.


10 FSM What was said at the time?


When the news was first announced in July 2018, Cllr Jim O’Boyle, Coventry City Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration, said: “An additional hotel at the Ricoh Arena has been long-awaited and is much needed. Proposals for a hotel have


“We also know that hundreds of extra


bedrooms will be needed for 2021 so there is a real incentive to get it built and open for then.”


What about the other hotel plans in the city?


Last week, planning permission was refused for a new budget hotel in the city, with three main reasons given for this decision. But overall, things are


looking fairly good in the hotel industry in Coventry. In the city centre, the boutique hotel at the old Coventry Telegraph building hit a new milestone a short while ago. Last Tuesday, the deal


been discussed for a very long time and now, finally, we are able to take real steps towards achieving this ambition. “A new hotel will help to support events


and conferencing at the Ricoh Arena and will help to ensure visitors stay here in Coventry when they visit the Ricoh. “The north of the city is an excellent


gateway and it’s important that we have the accommodation in place to make sure that visitors can stay and enjoy what we have to offer.


for the 2.5-acre site was signed between Complex Development


Projects


(CDP) and Coventry City Council, Olympian Homes and Bespoke Hotels. It will allow work to move ahead on the


new hotel, which will have 88 bedrooms, a ground floor restaurant and bar, meeting rooms, penthouse suites and a rooftop bar. And late last year, Travelodge revealed


that they were actively searching for sites near to the Ricoh Arena – due to the potential provided by the conference hall at the stadium.


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