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Plans for a new 800-home development in Coventry

Plans for a new 800-home development in the north of Coventry have been submitted to the City Council.

The development, on land near Keresley, would see the creation of a range of 800 new homes, a local centre, a new primary school, community facilities and green areas.

The 104-acre site, between Tamworth Road, Sandpits Lane and Bennetts Road South, would also provide improved links through the local area for public transport, cyclists and pedestrians.

The plans have been formulated over a five-year period and the planning application comes after a widespread consultation exercise with local residents, schools and community groups.

Lioncourt Homes, the company behind the plans, believes the scheme would improve housing choice in the area, provide much-needed community facilities and help Coventry towards meeting its housing targets.

Andy Faizey, Strategic Land Director of Lioncourt Homes, said: “We have been involved in this site for quite a few years and have always believed a well-planned, carefully-designed community would be a considerable asset to the area and to the city.

“This development would provide increased housing choice in the area, new educational and community facilities, as well as amenity spaces and local connections.

“The new homes would integrate well into the local area, and we have ensured that there would be a wide range from large detached properties with bigger plots through to houses for first-time buyers.

“That range of homes has allowed our urban designers to create a wide variety of streetscapes to make the development not only a very pleasant environment in which to live, but also very visually appealing.

“We consulted with local people, organisations and community representatives last year and have changed and shaped some of our plans as a response to what they had to say.

“Those have included relocating the planned primary school to ensure that it has joined up transport links with President Kennedy School.”

President Kennedy School is keen to manage the new primary school – which will be run as a Free School – while its existing swimming pool will undergo a major refurbishment programme as part of the plans.

The scheme would deliver 25 per cent affordable homes – some or all of which may be located away from the site in areas of the city that need them most.

Peter Thomas, head teacher at President Kennedy School, said: “Given its status as an outstanding school, President Kennedy School is well placed, working in partnership with the local authority, to extend educational provision to meet rising demand for school places within its immediate local community.

“Should the city council grant planning permission for this development, the governing body of President Kennedy School intends to make an application to the Department of Education to open the primary school as a Free School.

“We are hopeful that section 106 funding released by local housing development can provide the means to refurbish our well-loved swimming pool and thereby secure its long-term future. The pool is used by 1,500 students, many local primary schools and supports our very popular community swimming programme. “

Since Lioncourt drew up its plans, figures have been released showing that between 2012 and 2013, the city’s population grew by 2.07 per cent, or 6,678 more people. Coventry and Warwickshire also has a target of providing 76,000 new homes by 2031.

Faizey added: “The new figures and fresh housing target means that there has to be development in and around the city in the coming years. But it is key that developments are suitably located, designed to support and augment existing communities and have a range of aspiration homes. We firmly believe that our plans meet all those requirements.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .