Focus on market in Coventry after coronation party shelved

The party had been planned for the Sunday after the Earlsdon Festival

A community group said it would look at bringing back a market after plans for a coronation party were shelved.

Earlsdon Street 2.0 in Coventry cancelled its High Street coronation party after the application to close the road was turned down.

The city council said some residents objected as it was the week after the road shut for a festival.

Business owner Keiron Knights said the group wanted to bring a bit of life back to the area.

Mr Knights, of the Earlsdon Cobbler, said the area had lost its banks and some individual shops.

Cobbler Keiron Knights said the area had lost shops and needed a boost

Dharmender Rai, of Earlsdon Street 2.0, said it had been set up about a year ago to revive the High Street and "make it work" for businesses and residents hit by the cost-of-living crisis.

"It's about bringing the local community together and boosting the local economy - because these guys are struggling at the moment, it's tough gig," he said.

He said over the Christmas period they had a "really successful" street market which attracted about 10,000 people, which he had seen as a "pilot event".

He would now ask people what stalls they would like included in a regular street market.

The group's Christmas street market attracted thousands of people

Its application to close the road for a party on 7 May was initially accepted by the council and the group advertised the event.

However, the council reversed the decision after it said it received two official objections from residents affected by the road closures.

The authority added it had taken into account a survey by Earlsdon 2.0 itself which found 15 people objected to the closure the weekend after the Earlsdon Festival.

Earlsdon Street 2.0 have been aiming to revive the high street through events and activities

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