Coventry "dealt a huge blow" as Gateway scheme booted out by Eric Pickles

COMMUNITIES & Local Government Eric Pickles has blocked the development of the Gateway scheme near Coventry Airport.

He turned down the scheme – which it had been suggested could create 10,000 jobs – despite it having received approval from Coventry City Council and Warwick District Council and being backed by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

The £450m development – due to be built on Green Belt land – was to have included a new technology hub on land north of Coventry Airport and a major manufacturing and logistics hub to the south, also carrying out major road improvements to ease congestion and improve access around Jaguar Land Rover’s premises at Whitley Business Park.

A country park was designed to occupy nearly half of the overall site with the planting of 30,000 trees and 5km of hedgerows in addition to the establishment of 9.5km of new cycle and footpaths.

The firm behind the scheme – the Coventry & Warwickshire Development Partnership (CWDP) – has expressed its disappointment at the decision.

Coventry Airport owner Sir Peter Rigby, one of the partners in the development, said he was “surprised” that the decision had been negative.

He said: “We had no indication which way the minister would go, but having won support from the two planning authorities and with the backing of the business community, several local MPs and the LEP – not to mention being at the heart of Warwick District Council’s local plan – we were obviously disappointed to see this turned down.”

David Keir, chairman of joint venture partner Roxhill, said that changes to the economy and the property market in the 28 month planning process had only strengthened the scheme’s chances of success.

He said: “The level of take-up in the commercial property market has increased during that time and Coventry and Warwickshire is rapidly running out of sites to attract investment.

“When we first formulated Gateway, it was suggested that there was not proven need because of sites such as Ryton, but the take-up since then has been extensive and the area is very short of locations that will not only attract inward investment but also allow companies to expand and remain in the area.

“I have absolutely no doubt at all that there is a pressing and urgent need for Gateway and I believe that we have proved that and provided a scheme which would have served Coventry and Warwickshire extremely well for decades to come at a crucial stage in its recovery.”

Jonathan Browning, chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We are extremely disappointed and perplexed that this decision has been made by the minister, and we wait to see what decision the developers plan to do in terms of continuing to take the plans forward.

“The LEP has long-viewed Gateway as a nationally-significant employment site in Coventry and Warwickshire – with real potential of attracting major development from inward investors and expanding companies.

“We believe the case is very strong to bring this development forward, and both local authorities directly involved also gave it the green light.

“Around 10,000 jobs could be created at Gateway which will allow us to continue to build a successful and vibrant economy – the whole reason for the existence of the LEP.

“The CWLEP has backed the Gateway’s plans since we came into force in 2011 because we firmly believe this would have further strengthened Coventry and Warwickshire’s reputation as a driving economic force in the UK as the heartbeat of the technology, manufacturing and logistics sectors.” 

Peter Burns, president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are genuinely shocked by this decision and it is completely at odds with the Government’s policy on localism and economic growth.

“This development has the support of the LEP, the local authorities in the area and the business community through the Chamber and was predicted to create in the region of 10,000 jobs.

“We have written to Mr Pickles and have worked with local MPs, the LEP and our colleagues at the British Chambers of Commerce to ensure the case for Gateway was heard as forcefully as possible.

“How frustrating and alarming then that, despite the rhetoric, Coventry and Warwickshire’s economic prosperity has been dealt a huge blow by a ‘top down’ decision.” 

Steve Hemming, director of planning and development at commercial property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton in Birmingham, described the decision to refuse permission for the Gateway development as a real “kick in the teeth” for the local enterprise partnership and the local authorities involved.

He said: “What this decision by the Secretary of State could be telling us is that the closer we get to the General Election in May, the less objectivity we are seeing in terms of planning decisions.

“Six months ago there was a clear view as to where schemes like this were going but now an increasing number seem to be turned down.” 

Pickles’ decision had originally been due before Christmas.

He “called in” a planning application for the Gateway project in July 2013. It was eventually approved by Coventry City Council and Warwick District Council planning committees but had received more than 1,000 objections.

That led to a public inquiry in Leamington in April last year into what has been billed the most important job creation scheme in Coventry and Warwickshire.