'Smelly' Coventry car park could be demolished under council plans

A new one will be put in its place - as city centre parking comes under strain

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A "smelly" old car park in Coventry could be torn down so a new one can be built, as motorists face a squeeze on parking spaces in the city centre. Plans to demolish New Union Street car park and put up a 150-space temporary surface car park in its place have been revealed by the city council.

The 1970s car park has been called "awful", "smelly" and an "eyesore" by online reviewers. The council dubbed it out-dated in a new report this week. Back in 2017, the city council's assessment of the car park said its lift hadn't been in use for a few years and is "beyond economical repair."

"Not only is there ample evidence of anti-social behaviour taking place within the car park but it is considered that the car park does not in any way reflect the need or design of a modern car park," the report added. The car park was closed by the council along with five others in 2021 after Covid-19 caused a "financially unsustainable" drop in demand for city centre spaces.

READ MORE: Six Coventry city centre car parks to close because they've been used too little during pandemic

The same year, an eye-catching street artwork called the 'Tower of Tales' was created on a wall of the car park for the 'In Paint We Trust' series. But demand for parking is rising again and the council says the need could outstrip supply at the busiest times when more car parks close.

The city centre now has 304 fewer spaces than in 2019 as seven car parks have shut and just two new ones - at Salt Lane and the station - have opened. This figure will rise to just under 1,000 when the City Arcade and Barracks car parks shut for the City Centre South scheme in 2023/24.

At the moment, less than 50% of available parking spaces in the centre are occupied on a typical day, the council report says. But putting in a new car park at New Union Street will help "ease pressure" on other facilities when the City Arcade and Barracks close.

Council officers don't recommend re-opening the 240-space New Union Street car park, which they say needs significant repairs and will get worse without investment. A 2018 survey showed that bringing it up to modern standards would cost around £1 million - and it is believed the cost will likely have risen significantly since then.

The plan to knock it down is also expensive, however, and will cost the council an estimated £971,000, including just under £800,000 on demolition. Another consideration is the future use of the site including neighbouring surface level Cheylesmore car park - also closed to the public since 2021.

In 2017, the council agreed to look into a business case for building a new multi-storey car park on the land as both car parks were in a poor condition. The work was stopped due to uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. But current plans for New Union Street refer to the overall site as a "key corridor to the city centre and an ideal location for other uses."

The "redundant" car park structure is hindering these opportunities - and any re-purposing of the site will inevitably lead to it being knocked down, the council says. If plans are approved, funding for the £971k project will come from capital receipts from the Cox Street car park land disposal, officials say.

The new temporary car park could bring in £120k per year and the aim is to complete it this winter, the report adds. The plans will go to Cabinet Member for Jobs, Regeneration and Climate Change, Cllr Jim O'Boyle, for approval next week (June 15

Broken lifts and smelly stairs - reviewers on New Union Street car park

New Union Street car park has an average 2.8 star rating out of 79 reviews on Google, lower than most of its city centre rivals. The most recent review was posted three years ago.

Many of the reviews highlighted broken lifts, a narrow entrance and bays, and lack of cleanliness. Some also claimed the stairs smell of urine, and several supported the car park being knocked down.

Reviewers disagreed on the parking fees, with some calling it cheap and others expensive, but there was praise for its "handy" city centre location.

One reviewer, Guy Rewhorn, wrote: "Drab, tight, smelly, cold are all good words to describe this ancient car park. Lifts haven't worked in years so beware if you have mobility issues - they don't tell you this on the way in!"

He added: "I'm hoping that once the new Wave multistorey carpark opens this eyesore will be demolished and rebuilt."

Another named Richard Reid said: "Really tight entrance that will test drivers of larger cars. Decent size bays. Expensive but not extortionate. Stairways smell, as usual, of urine but has never felt unsafe."

'Local Guide' Mike Hartley added: "Broken lifts, filthy stairs, and a car park that seems to be designed for a Peel P50 to navigate. I found it rather nervous driving some parts in a Mondeo as it just seemed narrow, restrictive and I really am glad I never met a car going the opposite way. Modernisation or destruction and rebuild required urgently!"

"This is the most awful car park since 1980," wrote a reviewer called Nick. "Lifts don't work and parking spaces are narrow. Do not use if you are an elderly or disabled user or actually worried about personal security."