The developer behind a new £100 million scheme to regenerate the Bond Street area of the city centre is confident it will be given the green light after meeting with the city council. Representatives of Oakmoor Deeley, the development partners looking to create Belgrade Plaza, have been in discussions with Coventry City Council since the plans were deferred by the planning committee earlier this month. Councillors on the committee wanted more time to look over plans for the exciting development that will create more than 1,000 jobs with the building of two hotels, more than 85,000 sq ft of leisure and retail units, a casino and residential units. As well as extending the current Leigh Mills Car Park, Belgrade Plaza has also been planned to form an attractive leisure quarter and a vibrant gateway through to the new look Belgrade Theatre. Since meeting with the council, Oakmoor Deeley has revised plans for the residential element to the scheme. The apartments that will run parallel to Hill Street will now be housed in a two-storey building instead of three-storey. The new plans will go before the planning committee on Thursday, December 2. Mike Jones, of Oakmoor Deeley, said: "We have had extremely positive talks with the city council ahead of the next committee meeting. "We have tweaked the plans to lower the area of the scheme that runs opposite Mill Street in line with comments from English Heritage and others. "We have also been in discussion with the City Council and Belgrade Theatre about provision of a taxi and coach pick-up and drop-off point to serve both developments and that is now being worked into our existing plans. "Most of the feedback from the first planning committee meeting was that the scheme would breathe new life into that area of the city and it was deferred at that stage for councillors to clarify a few details." Peter Deeley added: "We are happy that we have satisfied any queries to hopefully begin work on Belgrade Plaza in earnest next year. "Once complete, it will provide a safe, well-lit walk from Leigh Mills Car Park through to the newly developed Belgrade Theatre as well as providing a host of other leisure, retail and residential outlets that are needed in the city centre. "There are also plans for two hotels, which Coventry City Centre is crying out for." | 
