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Developers Cloverglade have made a second attempt to transform vacant offices in Coventry into a private hospital. The proposed scheme would see Ashford House in Walsgrave repurposed as a medical facility, providing services for approximately 40 patients daily, according to the plans.

The hospital, which would employ around 55 staff during the day, would focus on eye and sight-related health issues, as well as foot and ankle conditions. Cloverglade says the scheme could help relieve pressure on the local NHS and cut waiting times for services such as ophthalmology and podiatry.

However, the developers' initial bid to change the building's use was rejected last year due to concerns about accessibility.

Officials cited the site's location in the Walsgrave Triangle Business Park as unsustainable due to insufficient bus and cycle links, and the lack of plans to address this issue. They also argued that the excessive number of car parking spaces "significantly [exceed] the maximum requirements", potentially discouraging the use of alternative modes of transport.

Concerns were expressed that the proposal did not demonstrate the new hospital would not significantly impact local roads or highway safety. Nonetheless, there was agreement on the concept of the hospital conversion, despite a formal objection from a neighbor and a "school survey" with a majority of 47 respondents opting to "object."

According to council planners, the location would be suitable, as sufficient efforts had been made to market the vacant building over two years, and it would not be feasible for the council to convert it into a school, reports .

A revised application was submitted last week. In a cover letter, a planner from Frampton Town Planning stated that the resubmitted, "fundamentally identical" application has addressed the reasons for the rejection last year.

The developers argued that they were not given sufficient time to address the highways issues prior to the previous decision, and a planning statement described the circumstances surrounding the ruling as "regrettable."