Around six companies have expressed interest in acquiring a defunct pub in Nuneaton’s town centre, according to deputy council leader Chris Watkins. The authority owns the former India Red establishment and has been working on renovations to bring the Abbey Street venue back into use. Improvements are already underway, with a new roof recently installed. However, the expenditure on these upgrades will not come from the budget allocated for the Grayson Place redevelopment, which has encountered several difficulties and requires additional funding. Instead, the council will finance the work through its corporate capital reserves.

During a full council session, Watkins addressed worries that the pub renovation would not proceed and reassured members about the broader Grayson Place scheme. He stated that the cabinet inherited complications with the Grayson Place venture when Labour assumed control of the authority. The former India Red premises now has a completely new roof and looks excellent, according to Watkins. He noted that this building has attracted more interest than any other property in the portfolio, with approximately six or seven parties showing interest in a space that currently resembles a blank interior ready for fitting out. Watkins emphasised that the India Red project was not even included in the original strategy when the current administration came to power, and pledged that the work would be completed rather than leaving the property abandoned.

Concerns were voiced regarding additional expenditure required for the North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College digital innovation centre and restaurant on the site. It became clear that the new structure requires electrical systems, ceiling installations, drainage infrastructure, and mechanical work, prompting questions about why these elements were not included in the initial costings. Additional funds have also been necessary for parking facilities, as the development will feature Padel tennis courts both inside the large grey building and outdoors, including a championship-standard court and further courts on an area originally designated for vehicle parking, necessitating extra parking provision elsewhere on the site.

Watkins attributed the oversights at the college building to the previous administration, claiming they also failed to properly plan the public realm entrances. He warned that without intervention, emergency vehicles would have been unable to access the area. The planned phases two and three aim to boost visitor numbers to Nuneaton town centre through events and attractions drawing people from across the borough and beyond, with the aim of encouraging more overnight stays at the Hilton hotel and raising the town’s profile.