Minister sorry for delay over bank demolition saga

A government minister has blamed a "significant backlog" for delays in deciding the fate of a former bank building in Coventry.

Demolition work on the former NatWest site on Earlsdon Street started over Christmas 2024, but was stopped by Coventry City Council, as the correct permissions had not been granted.

The developer appealed against the stop order, but more than a year on the matter has still not been resolved.

In a letter to the leader of the Conservative group at the council, local government minister Alison McGovern said: "I can assure you that the focus is now moving to reducing backlogs in this area too, concentrating resources on the oldest cases first."

Earlsdon Street falls within a conservation area, and permission to knock down the building would have been required before work could start.

The Conservative group leader on the council, Gary Ridley, had raised the matter at a previous meeting and then wrote to the government.

He said evidence gathering for the investigation had finished in June 2025, but the government had still to appoint an inspector to the case.

In her reply, McGovern said: "Written appeals against enforcement notices and refused lawful development certificates is the remaining significant area of casework backlog and progress is being made to reduce volumes in this area.

She apologised for the delay, adding: "We appreciate the importance of progressing these appeals and I can assure you that the focus is now moving to reducing backlogs in this area too, concentrating resources on the oldest cases first."

The site is currently surrounded by hoardings and scaffolding, with people living in the area having raised concerns about the safety of scaffolding in the street and the structural integrity of the properties in either side of the former NatWest bank.

After receiving the letter, Ridley said: "While I welcome the minister's apology, it offers little comfort to the residents, shoppers, and traders who have faced a year of silence.

"We were told evidence gathering was finished last summer, yet we are still no closer to a resolution. This was a flagrant breach of planning law and without a robust response what is to stop other developers from doing the exact same thing?"

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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