The 5.5-acre Abbotts Park development is being described as a “sustainable community” and would be built on the derelict former gas works site on Abbotts Lane. The plan being put forward is for 700 homes featuring a mix of three-bedroom townhouses and one and two-bedroom apartments.

Developer Complex Development Projects (CDP) revised earlier plans after a previous application to build on the land was rejected by Coventry City Council at the start of the year.

A redesign of the scheme has seen the company take on board concerns over access and parking and it says it is now “more family orientated”. The developer says the number of homes has been reduced to 700 and will consist of a mix of low to mid-rise homes to meet the needs of Coventry’s housing market.

In addition, the allocation of parking has been increased and includes electric vehicle charging, shared car clubs and a residents’ permit scheme to remove any impact on surrounding streets. CDP has created the Linear Park feature upfront, including recreating the Radford Brook. Work on the Linear Park is set to be completed in December and create a direct landscaped link from the city centre under the ring road to Naul’s Mill Park.

Features include a climbing wall, amphitheatre, feature ‘Zen’ arch structure, children’s play area and over 1,000 trees. Abbotts Park is planned to have a small village centre with a convenience store, café and other facilities to give the new development a community heart distinct from the city centre only a short walk away.

Ian Harrabin, managing director of CDP, said: “We went back to the drawing board after feedback from the public and planning committee. The result is a much better scheme, based on sustainable principles that reduce our impact on climate change. “The re-use of this derelict industrial site, in a central location where people can walk to work and use public transport, saves a large area of green fields from future development and reduces reliance on the car. This has to be the future if we are to live in balance with our environment. We have made sure to prioritise pedestrians, green spaces and tree planting but still creating a density that saves a huge amount of land from suburban development.”

Mr Harrabin added: “In this location you won’t need a car, but we have recognised that some of the residents will still want a parking space. We have moved the parking access far away from St Osburg’s Primary School and a new orchard and wildlife area will be created opposite the school which will engage pupils in the natural environment. The plans can now be viewed on our website. We welcome feedback on these new proposals before submitting them formally in time for consideration by the planning committee early in the New Year.”

Details of the scheme can be viewed online here.