Q: What are the plans for Pickford Gate?
Pickford Gate is a vibrant new neighbourhood to the north-western edge of Coventry, providing beautiful open spaces, community facilities, and a thriving new District Centre in a friendly green village setting.
Nestled within a 142 hectares parcel of land, the plans have been sensitively designed to create a high-quality new community of up to 2,400 homes, including 25 per cent affordable housing and extra-care provision.
The new site has nature at its heart, providing around 57 hectares of green infrastructure for families and residents - around 40 per cent of the total scheme – incorporating a new community park, children’s play areas, sports facilities, and allotments.
It also delivers new educational facilities for the community including a primary school, a new business/employment area, as well as flourishing new mixed-use District and Local Centres.
Q: Who is involved in Pickford Gate?
Pickford Gate has been promoted by Hallam Land.
Developers currently named for the scheme are listed below:
Phase 1 - Bovis Homes
Phase 2 & 3A – David Wilson Homes
Phase 4 & 5 – Vistry Partnerships
Employment Phase - Royal London Asset Management Property and Graftongate
Q: What stage are the plans at?
Coventry City Council granted outline planning permission (Ref: OUT/2018/3225) for a residential led development of up to 2400 dwellings, including 'extra-care' accommodation; new vehicular access from the A45 and via Pickford Green Lane, with other non-vehicular access points; 15 hectares of employment land (B1, B2 and B8); a District Centre of approximately 10,000 sq. m. retail space; a Local Centre of approx. 1000 sq. m. local convenience retail plus other community facilities; provision of a Primary School; open spaces, substantial landscaping, green infrastructure and sports provision; earthworks including the provision of new drainage features; and associated demolition and groundworks on June 3, 2021.
Prior to this full planning permission was granted by Coventry City Council (Ref: FUL/2019/2671) for the construction of a grade separated junction on the A45, with associated access roads, landscaping, drainage, and engineering works at planning committee on June 25, 2020.
The grade seperated junction was completed in 2024, with furth works to continue over the next 18 months. Individual housebuilders are responsible for their own reserved matters applications for each parcel of Pickford Gate, which will be subject to approval from the council.
Q: Why is this area of land being developed?
The principle of development on this site has been approved in the Coventry Local Plan, which was formally adopted by Coventry City Council on December 6, 2017.
This removed land north of Upper Eastern Green Lane and south of the A45 from the Green Belt and allocated it for a mixed-use, residential development.
Pickford Gate has been subsequently designed to respond to the Local Plan and the growing demand for much-needed new housing in the region.
Q: Will there be any affordable homes?
Pickford Gate will deliver affordable housing in accordance with Policy H6 of the Coventry Local Plan. The outline planning permission has been granted, accounting for at least 600 dwellings.
Of these, the consent envisages 60 per cent will be social/affordable rented housing, and 40 per cent will be intermediate housing.
This provides additional rental choice for families and individuals on lower incomes, ensuring a variety of housing for different needs is provided within the new community.
Q. What types of homes will be provided?
The scheme will provide attractive, modern living in a variety of homes to cater for different needs.
This includes a range of one to four-bedroom plus properties, varying from terraces to semi-detached and detached properties.
1.85 hectares of land will also be dedicated to the provision of extra care facilities, providing homes for retirement, and assisted living.
Q: What education provision will there be?
The outline planning permission provides for a new primary school to be built. This is due to be located at the heart of the development.
Situated on a 2.7 hectares site, the school will be located next to the Local Centre and will provide between 420 and 630 school places for children aged 5-11.
The detailed design and delivery of the school will be subject to discussion and agreement with Coventry City Council.
Q: What employment opportunities will there be?
Substantial new employment and business opportunities will be created through a new employment/business area of approximately 15 hectares.
This area will facilitate a mix of research and development, light industrial/industrial, and distribution uses within the site.
There will be further opportunities for employment in the new District Centre and Local Centre.
Q. What will be included in the District Centre and Local Centre?
The vibrant new District Centre will span around 3 hectares and will be a focal point for Pickford Gate, providing a range of retail outlets and a transport hub.
The smaller Local Centre will provide shopping for everyday essentials and has potential to include a health centre and a community hall.
The exact type of facilities will be finalised at the detailed design stage.
Q: What leisure facilities will there be?
A new community park – Slipperside Park – will be created for new and existing communities, to provide leisure and recreational opportunities for people of all ages.
The park will include a series of trails and routes focussing on elements such as nature and fitness, which will be integrated with new walking and cycling routes.
Sports pitches will be delivered, and areas of publicly accessible green space will provide recreational opportunities and include equipped children’s play areas to suit a range of age groups.
Q: What are the plans to improve the local roads network?
Enhancements are to be made to the existing road infrastructure through the creation of a new grade separated junction with the A45.
This will act as the primary access point to Pickford Gate, with secondary access facilitated from Pickford Green Lane by way of a new T-junction.
A newly constructed tree-lined boulevard will then connect the access points and loop through the site, with these improvements helping to remove through traffic from Pickford Green.
Q: What consideration has been given to other transport methods?
The development aims to minimise car trips by encouraging more sustainable modes of transport such as public transport, walking and cycling.
This is achieved through excellent bus connectivity with regular services every 10 minutes during peak hours from Eastern Green, with connection to Upper Eastern Green, Allesley Green, Coventry City Centre and the train station.
The primary road through Pickford Gate will also accommodate public buses.
Walking and cycling are promoted by interconnected streets, existing public footpaths and new greenways incorporating footpaths and cycleways, with identified cycle routes including a route to Tile Hill Station, Coventry city centre, and Juniper Park.
A new Transport Hub will also be created in the District Centre, providing cycle parking, buses, and a taxi pick-up and drop-off points among others. Then add in a link to the travel page.
Q: How will the area benefit from Pickford Gate?
A vibrant new community will be created at Pickford Gate, providing up to 2,400 much-needed new homes, employment and business opportunities, leisure facilities, a new primary school, and retail and shopping within a bustling new District Centre.
As part of the development, more than £97 million worth of Section 106 contributions will help to enhance the local area, which includes £16 million towards transport, £18 million towards education, £5 million towards sport, and £3 million towards healthcare.