BUTTS ROAD CLOSURES

There are more road closures affecting Butts Road over the next 9 days.

Every night 8pm – 6am from Monday 16 January to Friday 20 January, there will be no access from junction 7 of the Ring Road onto Butts Road westbound. Access onto the Ring Road from the Butts Road citybound carriageway will be northbound only during these times.

Butts Road will also be closed in BOTH directions between junction 7 and Albany Road between 8pm on Monday 23 January and 6am on Tuesday 24 January.

Signed diversion routes will be in place and access to homes and businesses will be maintained.

BLACK HORSE DEMOLITION IMMINENT

The long-anticipated demolition of the former Black Horse pub is to take place over the coming weekend, 7th/8th January.

Spon End will be closed between Hearsall Lane and Melbourne Road while this work is in progress.

This is part of the Air Quality Plan proposal to create a 4th lane through Spon End / Butts Road.

Photos below show the front of the pub from when it went on sale in 2012 and the side view, showing the line of the new inside lane through where the front of the building currently stands.

CHAPELFIELDS BUSES UNDER THREAT AGAIN

National Express Coventry has announced changes to its timetables from 1 January 2003.

Whilst they have tried to play down the significance of these changes, the reality is that the historic no.1 Chapelfields route, already butchered almost beyond recognition by previous cancellations and restorations, is being dropped again.

The explanation given on the NX website is “This service is withdrawn at the end of the Transport for West Midlands contract. An alternative service is expected to be provided by TfWM.”

What such an alternative may look like is open to speculation, but it should not be forgotten that currently the no.1 is helping fill gaps in the no. 2 service to Earlsdon which is listed as not changing, so in other words not only is the Chapelfields route facing an existential threat, but the service to Earlsdon would also probably be degraded unless the ‘expected alternative’ is an exact like-for-like replacement by another provider.

More details at:

https://nxbus.co.uk/coventry/service-updates/timetable-changes-from-sunday-1st-january-2023

‘Alice’ opens at the Criterion Theatre on Saturday 10 December

The psychedelic set is painted, the dressing rooms are full of weird and wonderful costumes, and the cast of 21 actors are giving their all… it must nearly be showtime!

Get your tickets now for Alice by Laura Wade, a modern adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic, which opens in a week’s time, running from Saturday 10 to Saturday 17 December.

Don’t miss this fabulous production. Your favourite Wonderland characters are there but with an exciting contemporary twist. It has been so wonderful to be working with two teams of young actors from our drama classes, for most of whom this has been their first opportunity ever to be on stage due to the pandemic. The production also has original music and songs. It’s all great fun and perfect family watching.

Let’s get the festive season off to a good start with sell out performances every night! Tickets available from the theatre’s website.

BUS SERVICE UPDATE

Following posts earlier in the week, outbound bus services to Earlsdon and Spon End have been restored, except in respect of Croft Road.
The full announcement from NX is as follows:
“To allow for air pollution work to be carried out, Butts Road will be closed to traffic from Croft Road.
While the road is closed the following diversions will be in force.
Services 1 2, 6, 6A, 14, 14A, 18, 18A towards Earlsdon and Spon End, will operate to Queen Victoria Road, then via Greyfriars Road, Warwick Road, and Ringway Queens to Butts Road.
They will not serve Croft Road.
All of these services will stop at Queen Victoria Road (Stand VR2).
Services towards the City Centre are not affected by this closure.”
See https://nxbus.co.uk/coventry/service-updates/ for any further announcements.