Developers P&K Estates Ltd are close to completing work on the locally-listed building named Elm Bank on North Avenue, Stoke Park, which still bears a blue plaque honouring the time Siegfried Bettmann owned and lived in the property.
The firm acquired the site in February 2018 and was granted planning permission for a range of 14 apartments, bungalows and mews apartments – three of which have already been sold.
The properties are a mix of nine 2 bedroom and five 1 bedroom, with prices from £190,000 for a one bedroom apartment offering 540 sq ft.
The project has been headed by Ramesh Parmar of MCE who has over 30 years’ experience in construction and this is the second development for P&K Estates which is Ramesh’s partnership with Pawan Kenth. The first project by P&K Estates was the construction of 14 houses in Erdington, Birmingham.
Project manager Rickesh Parmar of P&K Estates Ltd, said: “I believe we have created one of the best places to live in Coventry.
“It has been a near three year labour of love to restore this Victorian villa which was constructed in the 1870s.
“In collaboration with the architects Neil Boddison Associates, we have worked hard to reinvent Elm Bank to a high specification, creating a truly unique living environment in this beautiful part of Coventry.
“The history of the site and the significance of Siegfried Bettmann to Coventry’s motor heritage should not be understated. One of the most interesting apartments is partly formed from Siegfried Bettmann’s billiard room and has an original frieze still in place which we have been at pains to protect while building work was underway.”
The frieze consists of a series of eight oil paintings on canvas by the artist Oscar Mancine of the Birmingham School and are in the style of Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones.
In its time, Elm Bank has been used as a private home, a teachers’ club and latterly as offices for Coventry City Council teams including the learning and behaviour support service.
The restyling and renovation of the property by P&K Estates Ltd has been carried out to a high standard and the gated development has allocated parking for each apartment and electric car charging points for owner use.
The luxury features include underfloor heating throughout all the apartments, two parking spaces for the two bedroom homes and one space for the one bedroom properties. The specification in each apartment includes SieMatic kitchens, Siemens appliances and Porcelanosa bathrooms and tiles.
The development is located just 1.2 miles from Coventry city centre and 1.4 miles to Coventry railway station, which offers 19 minute direct trains into Birmingham and 57 minutes direct to London Euston. There is also direct train link from Coventry railway station to Birmingham International Airport which is just 12 miles away.
