ISSUE 04 2010 www.centralcitymagazine.com
Coventry Central City
FUTURE PERFECT
Coventry is moving on and starting the masterplan ball rolling
MARTIN YARDLEY
An in-depth interview with the man masterminding Coventry’s future
HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS
Far Gosford Street’s heritage takes centre stage
THE REGENERATION OF COVENTRY
Take a radical look at Coventry...
‘The Frank Whittle Arches’ - The arches follow the tradition of Frank Whittle by pushing the use of technology. The arch is formed of a pair of aerofoil tubular lattices with perforated stainless steel sheathing. The arches are found outside the City’s Transport Museum - Coventry City Council has invested in a regeneration scheme linking the Transport Museum with the Cathedral area.
A city with a rich and diverse heritage, Coventry is delivering transformational change to secure its future. As one of only 20 New Growth Points in the UK, the city is undergoing £9 billion of investment in partnership with public and private sector businesses across the city and its sub-region. For high tech manufacturers, residential and commercial developers, public or private sector bodies looking to relocate, education providers or companies keen to do business in a dynamic city where there's strong leadership allied with a clear sense of direction and purpose, now is an exciting time to get involved. As one of the UK's leading independent law firms, Martineau is proud to have played its part in the Coventry success story to date. We look forward to working in partnership with the City to help turn its vision into reality. Advising public and private sector clients alike, we combine technical legal ‘know-how’ with practical advice and innovative solutions. Talk to one of our experts now and find out how we can make a difference. Clive Read, Partner T: 0800 763 1439 E: clive.read@martineau-uk.com Michael Lawrence, Partner T: 0800 763 1376 E: michael.lawrence@martineau-uk.com
www.martineau-uk.com
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contents
Coventry Central City
Issue 04 March 2010
04 News
Editor: Kirsty MacAulay Features editor: Alex Aspinall
All the latest regeneration news; from new projects and initiatives to awards and events.
Art director: Terry Hawes Designer: Andy Ritchie
08 Martin Yardley
Advertisement sales: Lee Harrison Production: Rachael Schofield
We speak to the council’s new director of city services and development to find out what his aspirations are for the city.
Managing director: Toby Fox Printed by Wyndham Grange
15 Future
Images: Frans Wesselman, Marc Goodwin, Coventry Transport Museum, PCPT Architects, Coventry City Council, QCDA, University of Warwick, MJP Architects
Jerde’s masterplan for the city centre has attracted much attention and is now moving forward apace.
20 Big picture
Published by
Coventry’s regeneration is not limited to the city centre, we take a look at the bigger picture.
Lower ground floor 189 Lavender Hill London SW11 5TB T: 020 7978 6840
25 Partnership
Who are Coventry City Council’s main partners, what are they working on and why?
For Coventry City Council City Services and Development Directorate, Regeneration Services, West Orchard House, Corporation Street, Coventry CV1 1GF
28 Heritage
Far Gosford Street is on the brink of a dramatic makeover that will revive this medieval gem.
Business home page www.coventry.gov.uk/business Online property search www.coventry.gov.uk/ businesspropertyonline Relocation support www.relocate-to-coventry.com Subscriptions and feedback www.centralcitymagazine.com Copyright 3Fox International Ltd 2010. All material is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of 3Fox International Ltd is strictly forbidden. The greatest care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of information at time of going to press, but we accept no responsibility for omissions or errors. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of 3Fox International Limited or Coventry City Council.
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33 Projects TOP: Millennium Square. MIDDLE: The thoroughly modern masterplan. BOTTOM: Coventry’s medieval secret. COVER IMAGE: Martin Yardley.
An update on what is happening with the major projects that are set to transform the city centre.
43 Markets
The lowdown on Coventry’s retail, residential, office and commercial markets.
46 Contacts
Who to contact at Coventry City Council.
coventry central city_issue 4 03
UPDATE Coventry wins! COVENTRY won the prestigious title of Midlands City of the Year at the Property Week awards in 2009. The city secured the most online votes for its range of regeneration projects and specific praise was given to the Jerde masterplan. The awards ceremony was held at Birmingham’s International Conference Centre in July 2009. Councillor Kevin Foster, deputy leader, commented: “These awards really are the Oscars of the property and development world so we are very pleased to have won the title City of the Year. Coventry is clearly a place with lots happening – even in these difficult times – and it’s testimony to the hard work of everyone that cares for our city that we made the shortlist and then went on to get the most votes. “Coventry is being increasingly recognised for what is happening now and for our exciting plans for the future. We are proving that we are a city that knows where we are going and can deliver major schemes.”
New £27 million academy Construction of the new Sidney Stringer Academy started at the end of 2009. The £27 million school by Kier Moss, the local arm of Kier Group, will cover over 13,000sq m on the grounds of the existing Sidney Stringer school. The building will have terracing to allow outdoor performances, a designated ecological area, large auditorium with retractable seating, state-of-the-art dining facilities and gardens. The school will provide general and specialist teaching areas, as well as a library and sixth form centre and will also benefit from links to a new sports centre. Sustainability will be set at the heart of the new building with energy saving heating and lighting, solar control glazing and renewable sources of energy installed. The academy will officially open in September 2010 in the existing school buildings and transfer to the new buildings the following academic year.
Design guide
New public square
HUNDREDS of delegates from around the world descended on Coventry in early March to attend the Coventry Symposium for Urban design. Destined to become a regular fixture, the event focused on best practices in creating socially, environmentally and economically successful cities. Leading thinkers took delegates through a programme covering key themes including: transport, places, regeneration and living, innovation in investment and sustainability and buildings and design. Speakers on the day included Wayne Hemmingway of Hemmingway Design, Gehl Architects’ Oliver Schulze and Mayor of Seattle Greg Nickels. The event was chaired by Channel Five’s face of architecture and design Charlie Luxton.
COVENTRY’S newest public space, Ironmonger Square was due to open as Central City went to press. The scheme to create a large public square paved in sandstone with trees and new seating was extended to continue the paving from the square to Cross Cheaping and to the West Orchards shopping centre as well as widening the pavements in the Burges and along Trinity Street. The plans for the £4 million project were revised after technical problems with a vast underground storage area were discovered. An engineering solution was devised to enable the plans to go ahead, councillor Hazel Noonan, cabinet member for city services explained: “It is a huge space and presented a number of challenges. This revised scheme will transform it into somewhere that people feel safe and want to go to shop or just enjoy a sit down. I think we have kept all of the best features of the original plan and improved on it.”
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update IN BRIEF Coventry takes gold Coventry’s Godiva Festival won Best One Off or Annual Award at the Heart of England Excellence in Tourism Awards. The festival, which has been running for 12 years, is a free arts and music event held for one weekend every summer at the War Memorial Park. Acts to have graced the stage include Womack and Womack, The Enemy, Leo Sayer, Kasabian and the Fratellis. In 2009 a whopping 85,000 people attended the festival. Godiva was also shortlisted for the UK Festival Awards’ Best Major Festival alongside heavyweights such as Glastonbury!
Development green light Planning consent has been granted for Goodman and Advantage West Midland’s plans to develop over 81,000sq m at the former Jaguar site on Browns Lane. Infrastructure works are already under way on the mixed-use scheme, which will create nearly 7,000sq m of office space and 172 homes.
Energy funding
Phased approach Coventry city councillors have moved the transformation of the city a step closer to reality with a major decision on phasing the implementation of the masterplan. The focus for the first phase of Jerde’s masterplan will now see the development of the southern end of the city. At the heart of the first phase will be the almost nine-hectare site incorporating Coventry Market, Barracks car park, Bull Yard and City Arcade. It was decided the development of the south of the city was more commercially viable, creating a new round retail market and linking the city centre to the Friargate scheme and the train station. Assistant director city centre and development services, David Cockroft explained: “We can’t tackle a scheme as massive as this in one go, we have to make sure it’s business as usual as far as possible so that means keeping disruption to a minimum when we begin work.” The council is forming a joint venture with landowners and will be seeking a development partner later in the year.
LEFT: The brand new Ironmonger Square will transform the city centre.
Coventry’s Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm estates have received £1.6 million from the Homes and Communities Agency to fund the development of a community energy scheme to provide heating and hot water for 154 homes. This is just the first phase of the scheme, which will eventually include a district CHP plant to power the whole neighbourhood.
£2.8 million grant Coventry’s War Memorial Park (below) has received a grant of over £2.8 million from the Parks for People programme. The money will fund the restoration and renewal of the park including the memorial, gardens, paths and playing fields as well as the adaptation of pavilions into education, exhibition and community spaces. An action plan for change was developed through community consultation to ensure the work will retain the character of the park while improving key areas. Work was expected to start on site as Central City went to press, with completion due in March 2011.
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update
BSF one step closer Coventry City Council has named the shortlisted consortia on its Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme. The three to make the shortlist are Aura (Sir Robert McAlpine), BAM PPP and Coventry Partnership for Learning (Laing O’Rourke). The £355 million BSF plans will create nine new schools and refurbish 11 while the ICT funding will benefit 22 secondary and special schools. The results of the building and refurbishment programme will be seen across a four-year period from 2011. Commenting on the shortlist councillor John Blundell, cabinet member for children, learning and young people, said: “The level of interest in our programme is testament to the hard work of a great many people and partners as well as the attractiveness of Coventry as a place to do business.” A preferred consortia is expected to be announced in November 2010.
Godiva awakes Coventry-based Imagineer Productions is the West Midlands winner of the Arts Council England’s project for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. Godiva Awakes was chosen from 133 regional entries to the Artists Taking the Lead project to become one of 12 commissions inspired by their location and celebrating the London Olympics to be realised across the country in the next three years. The artist-led processional performance will involve a 10-metre high Godiva powered by 50 cyclists alongside 2,000 dancers, actors, musicians, pyrotechnicians and aerialists as a symbol of justice across the world. The concept embodies the values of fair play, friendship, respect and courage that are at the heart of the Olympic movement. Councillor Ken Taylor, leader of Coventry City Council, said: “This is great news and a real honour for the city. It’s great to be called best in the region and it showcases the wonderful artistic community and cultural performers we have in our city.”
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Friargate moves forward friargate Coventry LLP has secured outline planning approval for a 15-hectare site next to the train station. The plans for approximately 300,000sq m of development include a large proportion of grade A office space, which it is hoped will create up to 15,000 new permanent jobs. The plans propose a total of 26 buildings to include two hotels, residential units, bars and restaurants as well as retail space set around a new public square to be located outside the train station. The project, designed by Allies and Morrison, has been devised to appeal to companies relocating to the city. The construction programme is expected to take 10-15 years and will greatly improve Coventry’s high quality office sector. Cabinet member for city development, councillor Gary Ridley, commented: “It is another major step in the development of our great city and it will create thousands of new jobs for local people. It is also tangible proof that the developers believe in our city, even in these difficult economic times.” ❑
Left: Caption to go in here please Sarah on three to four decks thanks
THE INTERVIEW
AC
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READY FOR
ACTION When Coventry City Council decided to redesign the city, it went out and asked local people what they wanted. Having made the planning process more efficient, it is now planning a £9.4 billion regeneration, which will include doubling the retail offer and revitalising the city centre. Julie Mackintosh speaks to Martin Yardley
“T
here should always be something happening, about to happen or being planned,” says Martin Yardley, when discussing his vision for the transformation of Coventry. The director of city services and development at Coventry City Council is certainly practising the regeneration philosophy he so enthusiastically preaches. When Central City caught up with him, the south of the city had recently been selected for the first phase of development, the council’s regeneration team had been restructured, the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority (QCDA) was preparing to open its doors and a host of major planning applications were at various stages of completion. All of these are part of a wide-ranging £9.4 billion proposal to turn Coventry into “the UK’s first 21st century city”. More on that later. For such a grand vision needs a wellorganised team behind it. The council’s recent merger of the city services and city development teams is designed to bring exactly that, as Yardley explains: “We want to ensure that our day-to-day activities reflect the overall aims of the regeneration. For example, has the grass in public places been cut? Are the roads in a good condition? Everything should help encourage inward investment. “We’re looking to provide developers with a seamless service: from the initial meeting with the inward investment team to when building control hands over the keys to the front door,” he says. ➜ coventry central city_issue 4 9
THE INTERVIEW
The city centre has been divided into 10 districts with one person responsible for each, offering a dedicated point of contact for developers throughout the entire process. This is one of the factors that Yardley attributes to Severn Trent achieving planning permission on its new 15,794sq m home in seven and a half weeks and the university securing approval in less than 12 weeks on each of its three new city centre campus buildings worth £160 million. “We don’t rush through the applications in any way,” he reassures, “we just have excellent processes in place.” A fact that must bode well for the 300,000sq m mixed-use Friargate scheme which is in the midst of the planning process. With around 12 grade A office buildings and the potential to bring up to 15,000 new jobs to Coventry, Friargate is one of the main reasons the council decided to prioritise regeneration of the city centre’s south side. “We had to make a call on whether to go north or south and the latter makes most sense both socially and commercially,” says Yardley. “There are only four landowners there and they’re all sitting around the table. The scale of the proposal in the south [which includes the Market, Shelton Square, Bull Yard and City Arcade] is also very impressive – big enough to make a real difference.” The difference to which Yardley is referring is the proposed doubling in size of Coventry’s retail sector, which will include a major new department store. Despite being the UK’s 11th largest city, a recent survey by King Sturge placed Coventry 43rd in terms of retail offer which perhaps explains why 50% of its potential spend currently goes elsewhere. “With Friargate just a four-minute walk from the city centre’s south side, I would argue that they are fundamentally linked in Coventry’s regeneration,” argues Yardley. “Better retailers encourage companies to take office space and vice versa. In the regeneration that followed the manufacturing decline of the 1980s, new offices were built on the outskirts which means that people live and spend elsewhere. This time, the new offer will be in the city centre – it makes sense and it’s sustainable.” It would seem that the people of Coventry agree, judging from their support of the regeneration. When the council went out with a blank sheet of paper, 3,000 people contributed their ideas. “We received a long wish list but most of it was commercially viable. The vast majority of the comments were really well thought out and considered. For example, people thought our proposal to have a large central square conflicted with an existing square and was a waste of retail space,” says Yardley. 10 coventry central city_issue 4
“Better retailers encourage companies to take office space and vice versa”
300,000 square metres of mixed-use space within the Friargate scheme
7
questions for Martin Yardley
1_ Favourite thing about Coventry
The amazing pride and enthusiasm that people here have for their city, albeit tinged with a dose of healthy cynicism. During consultation, people really came together, in their own time, to contribute to the process. When we went out with a blank sheet of paper and asked what the regeneration should achieve, we received 3,000 comments. They were sensible and viable, really well thought out and considered. I’ve never seen that level of participation before anywhere else.
2_ One thing you would change
I’d get everyone to believe that this regeneration will happen. I know there has been talk in the past and it hasn’t led to anything, so scepticism is understandable.
3_ Biggest misconception about the city
All that “being sent to Coventry” malarkey is wrong and unfair. Coventry’s image is at odds with the reality. You put the proposition to someone: seven motorways, 57 minutes from London, reasonable property prices, a huge retail catchment, the NEC within 25 minutes – then you tell them you are talking about Coventry and they’re surprised. We need to change perceptions, get people here and they’ll see what a great city it is.
4_ Secret Coventry place
There’s a really great pub that’s inside the spire of a church. The rest of the church was lost in bombing during the war.
5_ Favourite building in the world
Anything by Frank Gehry – I’m a real fan. Maybe his chrome tower at the Media Centre in Düsseldorf.
6_ Describe Coventry in three words Up and coming.
7_ Little known fact about Coventry
The second largest medieval tapestry in the world after the Bayeux Tapestry is in St Mary’s Guildhall.
This page: Friargate (left) is just one of the schemes that will transform Coventry, putting it at the forefront of the West Midlands.
Following feedback from local people, changes have been made to the original Jerde masterplan, including: breaking rooftop green spaces into smaller parcels; lowering the height of blocks of flats and spreading them more evenly across the city centre to protect views of the three historic spires; and breaking up some of the bigger chunks of development so they can be constructed in a more phased way. Yet Yardley admits there has also been an understandable dose of cynicism among the public. “There’s been talk of change in the past which hasn’t happened so, yes, some people will be sceptical. I’m a relative newcomer to Coventry – and a Brummie – and I’ve noticed, although people here can be cynical, they are proud and certainly don’t like outsiders criticising the city.” One of the challenges faced by regeneration schemes around the world is in providing a credible link from an area’s past to its future, protecting and enhancing what is good while improving elements which are not. Given the wartime bombing suffered by Coventry and a postwar reconstruction, which sharply divides opinion, this has not proved easy for regenerators. “It’s really difficult,” concedes Yardley. “Coventry was a medieval city. Out of my window I can see the grade I listed Ford’s Hospital and no one would suggest it shouldn’t be there. “But where it becomes challenging is with the 1950s and 1960s buildings, which are not as loved but are considered to be great examples of their genre. Several are also listed.” He says it is difficult to explain to people why a building that has “maybe not even been built properly and is not liked” is worthy of listing. “It’s a difficult challenge but we have to take it on if we are serious about change,” he says. When asked about the overall vision for Coventry, Yardley doesn’t miss a beat. “I know this sounds corny, but we could become the UK’s first 21st century city. “In a way, it’s lucky that there have been no significant retail projects in 20 years because we can really have a go at transformational change. Today, you can shop online or drive to an out-of-town centre – you don’t have to go to a city centre. We must make people want to come here by creating great places first and fitting an enticing offer of activities around them.” So what about the Coventry of the near future? The city services and development director’s assessment goes something like this: “In two years, we’ll have the beginnings of a thriving office quarter and a city centre based university. In three you’ll see demolition begin in parts of the city centre and development around the railway station and, within five, the first swathe of new retail will begin to open.” ❑ coventry central city_issue 4 11
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FUTURE
Coventry’s regeneration is something the council is taking very seriously. The masterplan has been reconsidered and is being taken forward. By David Blackman
NEW DIRECTION C
oventry is looking to the future with impressive plans to improve its retail prowess. Although the city’s retail catchment population is twice that of nearby Leicester, the city centre currently only attracts two thirds as many shoppers. The city is leaking money to other centres, points out Andy Telford, urban design manager at Coventry City Council: “Coventry is losing a lot of trade out of the city because people are going to places like Leamington and Leicester,” he says. According to council leader Ken Taylor, urgent action is needed to turn around the city centre’s fortunes. “Almost everyone agrees that we have to act, and act fast to transform our city centre into a place where people want to live, work and play.” Office workers will not flock to the city centre, he adds, unless they have pleasant places to
go to for a coffee at lunchtime or to unwind in the evening. The Jerde Partnership, an international architecture practice, has drawn up a masterplan for Coventry’s retail core on behalf of a partnership between developer Modus, the city council and insurer Aviva. David Sheldon, the regional manager of Jerde’s European office in Amsterdam, consciously drew on the city’s rich history when he was preparing his vision of its future. Following the wartime devastation of its medieval heart, Coventry underwent the most radical reconstruction of any UK city centre, with Basil Spence’s new cathedral as its central point. “It’s one of the most amazing cities in Britain because of its history and what has happened over the past four or five decades,” says Sheldon, who wants to inject a renewed sense of pride. The scale of the masterplan is enormous, ➜ coventry central city_issue 4 15
FUTURE
BELOW: The redeveloped Transport Museum is one of the city’s success stories.
covering more than one third of the city centre. It’s a 20-year vision, which dwarfs even the redevelopment of Birmingham’s Bullring, Sheldon insists: “The Bullring was a project – this is a city centre,” he says. The plan’s underlying driver is a much-needed improvement to the city centre’s retail offer. Jerde’s vision will create 200,000sq m of retail space, including a major department store, together with more niche and convenience shops. Sheldon says, however, that boosting Coventry as a retail destination requires far more than bigger and better shops. “You want an experience, something more than going to a retail centre,” he says. “This is not just a retail masterplan – it’s a masterplan for the city centre.” The masterplan fits into an urban design framework for the entire city centre within the ring road. It dovetails with wider plans for the city centre, which lies at the heart of a subregional, north south corridor running through Coventry and Warwickshire. “We’ve got to provide more employment, more retail and more living accommodation,” says Telford. To encourage this, a pleasant environment is needed, the Jerde plan proposes the equivalent of more than seven football pitches worth of green space over four levels. As well as these ‘hanging gardens’ a new city park will be wrapped around the city centre. Elements of postwar construction, such as the circular market building, will have to be demolished to make way for the masterplan. However, some of Donald Gibson’s original design will be retained and regenerated, including a number of squares. Sheldon describes the consultation events as the most intense he has ever engaged in. The feedback resulted in a more human scale to some of the proposed development. Sheldon says the underlying goal of the masterplan is to create a more cohesive city centre. Buildings have been developed on an adhoc basis over the decades, he says, without the structures around them being taken into account. “There’s no coherence,” he explains. “Everything is back to back as opposed to seeing it as a puzzle of pieces. Coventry has the pieces of the puzzle, but it needs to put them together better.” Coventry has seen some good projects over 16 coventry central city_issue 4
“You want an experience, something more than going to a retail centre. This is not just a retail masterplan – it’s a masterplan for the city centre”
the last decade, he acknowledges, the most notable of which is the Phoenix Initiative. This series of linked squares was shortlisted for the Royal Institution of British Architects’ Stirling Prize. In addition, the Belgrade Theatre has been successfully redeveloped. “Phoenix Initiative and the Belgrade building are quite nice and there is a lot of potential. The challenge is to tie all of it together,” says Sheldon. No city centre can be revived by any project planned in isolation, no matter how much such a project succeeds on its own terms, he adds. The great cities of the world are underpinned by a coherent idea, even if they are designed and built by a host of different architects and planners. Martin Yardley, Coventry City Council’s director of city services and development, says: “We will be working on how we link the Jerde masterplan into the regeneration that is already going on in the city centre. This means we
URBAN DESIGN FRAMEWORK
3,000
People attended the masterplan consultation events. Their feedback resulted in a more human scale to some of the proposed development
will ensure that Belgrade Plaza, Severn Trent, Friargate at the railway station and Coventry University’s developments, for example, are fully integrated into the retail plan – that walkways and routes are right and that they do not turn their backs to each other – as happens a lot now.” Taylor agrees that a strong vision is important: “This masterplan sets the standard and binds all partners into working together to create one coherent city centre that works for its people and its businesses,” he says. However, when Jerde’s final masterplan came out Britain was entering recession and Coventry’s ambitions looked optimistic to say the least. As a result, says Sheldon, the city centre masterplan is stuck in what he describes as a ‘holding pattern’ as those involved work out how they can take it forward in the current difficult climate. He is impressed by the council’s determination not to let the momentum slip. ➜
ABOVE: Jerde’s masterplan will create more green space and retail.
While the Jerde masterplan works on a grand scale, it still leaves two thirds of the city centre untouched. The council’s urban design framework by contrast, covers the whole of the area bound by the ring road. Andy Telford, urban design manager at Coventry City Council, says: “The urban design framework stitches them all together to make sure that the routes, spaces and pedestrian movements plus the archaeology, history and the topography of the city all relate. “It’s really a flexible framework that builds on the best of what we have got, places like the cathedral quarter, the conservation areas and other listed buildings in the city centre.” The framework proposes the retention of elements of the city’s post war Gibson plan, such as the upper and lower precincts. “The Festival of Britain buildings are retained, but there are areas that don’t work well.” The framework, like the masterplan, also seeks to use urban design to reinforce Coventry’s traditional image as the ‘City of Three Spires’. Masterplans and projects will be required to take into consideration the city centre’s topography, by creating new streets which rise up hill for example. The framework also proposes opening up the River Sherbourne, which was a significant influence on the city’s historic development, but is nowadays largely stuck in a narrow culvert. It says development proposals should safeguard and enhance these waterways, creating safe pedestrian routes alongside them, and developing the river’s role as wildlife habitat and corridor.
coventry central city_issue 4 17
FUTURE
BELOW: Jerde’s plans for Coventry will transform the city.
“We know how special our city and its people are, now’s the chance to show the world what we’re capable of”
“It’s very courageous and it’s something that a lot of people elsewhere might look at,” he says. A change of the kind being proposed in Coventry city centre cannot be achieved in one fell swoop – phasing the development is critical. “If you were trying to put steel in the ground tomorrow it would be tough, but we are in a situation where we don’t have to. We are not looking to build until 2014.” With both the postwar precincts set to remain largely untouched, the council has decided that the first phase of the development will be focused on the southern end of the city’s shopping area. David Cockroft, assistant director city centre and development services, says there are a string
86%
of land earmarked for development to the south of the city centre is controlled by the council and its partners THIS PICTURE: Regeneration efforts have already made an impact on the city centre.
18 coventry central city_issue 4
of reasons why it makes more sense to develop this end of the city centre. “The buildings to the south have got the poorest end of the market,” he says. Better quality tenants, like Debenhams and Marks & Spencer, tend to be located in the area to the north of the precincts. “They’re the sort of shops you would expect to find in a city centre,” he says. If perceptions of Coventry are to be turned around, it makes more sense to redevelop the weaker end of town, he argues. Redeveloping the north would just provide better quality premises for the city’s existing premium tenants rather than attracting new anchors. By contrast, a development in the south of the city centre would provide a scheme big enough to attract a new anchor store to Coventry, therefore improving the city’s overall retail offer. In addition, the council and its partners control around 86% of the land in the area earmarked for development to the south of the city centre, making development in this quarter easier to deliver. And the relatively low rents for properties at the southern end of the city centre mean a greater uplift in value is possible, potentially releasing cash for high quality architecture. Despite the downturn, the city continues to see significant inward investment. Severn Trent is moving its headquarters from East Birmingham to Coventry and the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority has relocated its HQ from London. Meanwhile, things are moving ahead with Friargate’s wholesale redevelopment of the 15-hectare site surrounding Coventry railway station. The scheme has now secured planning approval. Delivering the kind of all-embracing vision outlined in the masterplan and the council’s urban design framework and integrating this with work already under way will be tough. Taylor says that the council is happy to lead the regeneration of the city centre. “We know how special our city and its people are,” he says. “Now’s the chance to show the world what we’re capable of.” ❑
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www.prologisryton.co.uk coventry central city_issue 4 19
THE BIG PICTURE
THINK
BIG In an increasingly global world, insular approaches to regeneration do not breed success. Alex Aspinall spoke to Coventry’s director of strategic planning and partnerships John McGuigan to explore his city’s approach
“W
e see ourselves as a key part of the West Midlands,” explains John McGuigan. “But we also see ourselves as a key part of the English Midlands – east and west. Working across the Midlands will give us greater relevance in many areas. “Over the last few years Coventry’s engagement at a regional and sub-regional level has been stronger than ever before. In the past we may have concentrated more on Coventry and its development needs, but we now recognise that we need to be a player in a much bigger arena.” There is a view within regeneration circles that although neighbouring destinations are in competition in some respects, there is mutual gain to be taken from co-operative working. This rings especially true when you consider the scramble for inward investment and company relocation. McGuigan agrees. “We recognise that we operate in the sub-region and we are saying to potential inward investors and relocators they are not just coming to the city of Coventry, they are coming to a very attractive environment, which includes Stratford and Warwick as part of the subregion. We can offer the benefits of urban and rural living at the same time. We have to offer quality of life as well as a good place to invest.” These factors played a role in the success Coventry has already enjoyed in securing relocations, with organisations such as Ericsson, Severn Trent and the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority (QCDA), and they will continue to do so going forward. The city’s ability to attract new sources of investment, opportunity and growth rely on its ability to offer more than just working spaces and a relevant city centre. Its close location to Warwickshire’s attractive countryside and its association and proximity to bigger brother ➜ 20 coventry central city_issue4
University of Warwick Universities around the world are helping regenerate the cities they represent. But when it comes to non-city centre based development few can match the ambition being shown at the University of Warwick
Its recently approved £400 million masterplan, to be implemented over the next ten years, represents the kind of investment only dreamed of by some larger towns. It will see the university increase its relevance as a research centre, as well as firm up some of its commercial and support services, increase both staff and student numbers, and increase in physical size by 171,000sq m. Bob Wilson, the university’s director of estates says: “The masterplan underpins our strategic ambition to become a universally acknowledged world centre of higher education. The university is already a major presence in Coventry and the sub-region, economically and socially, and one of the masterplan’s eight project objectives is about increasing still further our economic and social contribution to the local area and wider region.” The first five-year phase of the development will see the relocation of the Estates Office to University House, further phases of development at the business and medical schools, the development of an indoor tennis court at Westwood, a new digital laboratory at Academic Square, a new Olympicsized swimming pool, a new social facility to serve existing residences on Central Campus West and the creation of student accommodation for up to 2,000 additional students. John McGuigan recognises the role played by the city’s two higher education establishments: “University of Warwick is internationally recognised in areas like business and economic development, and medicine and medical research,” he says. “Universities are enormously important in regeneration, and ours are the two most important factories in the city. Years ago you’d look at factories like Rover but these days, in terms of producing the economic future of the city, the universities are critical to our success. “Our universities are business-focused and business-facing and they are part of our economy for the future. More and more, the sort of inward investors that are attracted to Coventry are looking at what the universities can do for them.”
ABOVE: Plans for the university’s new library. BOTTOM: The university’s planned arts square.
171,000sq m the increase in physical size to be implemented over the next ten years
coventry central city_issue 4 21
THE BIG PICTURE
“Our competition is worldwide; it is not just from other cities in the Midlands” Birmingham, add to the list of reasons a company may opt for Coventry over the other cities vying for their attention. Though in today’s globally competitive market said competition probably isn’t lurking on the doorstep, as McGuigan points out. “There is a realisation that there are three related, but self-standing economies in the West Midlands; Coventry, Birmingham and the Black Country. These sub-regional centres of gravity cross administrative boundaries, so we need to operate at a sub-regional and regional level because people don’t live their lives limited by local authorities, so we need to respond accordingly. “We want to work with nearby cities for the common good. Our competition is worldwide; it is not just from other cities in the Midlands. We brought Ericsson here but their recent decision to downsize their worldwide R&D facilities was made 1,000 miles away, so it is not about the local area. We are in competition with the rest of the world; it does not really matter where they are.”
22 coventry central city_issue 4
ABOVE: The university’s Whitefield area. Below: The masterplan for Whitley Business Park.
In order to remain globally competitive Coventry needs to ensure its offer, both within the city centre and in the areas surrounding it, continues to improve. And considerable emphasis has been placed on the latter in Coventry, as the city has sought not to fall into the trap of concentrating solely on city centre based regeneration. There are an impressive range of development opportunities outside the city centre, with the £130 million 102,000sq m Whitley Business Park, the 40-hectare Ansty innovation park, which is within 150 miles of 80% of the UK’s population, and the expansion and upgrade of the Stoneleigh Park visitor attraction; all key examples. These developments directly complement the work under way in the city centre and the destination marketing covering both Coventry as a city in its own right, and the efforts towards promoting the interests of the sub-region as a whole, all of which enable Coventry to remain competitive in testing and changeable times. The city has grown wise from the mistakes of the past and is ready to tackle the challenges of the future, eager to excel on all fronts, as John McGuigan explains: “We have learnt that change and economic diversification has to be ongoing. Our economy now is dramatically different to what it was 25 years ago, and it will probably have changed again in the next 25 years. “We want to present ourselves as a crucible for change; we are the place where change will happen, and where the best get even better. We want to be leading edge in everything we do but we know that you are only going to be leading edge momentarily because someone else will learn from you, which means we have to keep moving. “In the coming years Coventry will have a revitalised city centre and become a natural sub-regional centre for the million people that live in the sub-region. We can either stand still and pretend that the world owes us a living, or we can recognise that the world is changing and we have to change with it.” ❑
Thriving communities, affordable homes
CREATING HOMES AND COMMUNITIES, ACHIEVING LOCAL AMBITIONS. The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) is the national housing and regeneration agency for England. Our scale and resources mean we can increase housing supply, and enhance people’s quality of life by creating and regenerating communities that people want and can afford to live in. Our remit is to match national targets with local ambitions and have a strong regional presence, operating as a national organisation that delivers locally. Our priorities in the West Midlands are to:
• Increase the supply of new and affordable homes. • Invest in rural communities and the supply of affordable housing. • Ensure high standards for existing housing stock in the region. • Deliver our placemaking agenda – maximising public sector investment in the area. • Contribute to the economic well-being of our region. For more information on how we can help you create thriving communities, please: visit homesandcommunities.co.uk/westmidlands call ���� ���� ��� or email westmidlands@homesandcommunities.co.uk
Making a difference
Working in Partnership to Regenerate Coventry Orbit Heart of England owns and manages over 13,000 homes. We are investing £50m each year in regeneration and new homes. Orbit can offer • 40 years of experience developing and regenerating the Midlands. • Long-term neighbourhood management and community development. • Quality services across the region provided by local teams. • Over 1,300 homes in Coventry managed from our Coventry office. • Commitment to working in partnership to improve the quality of life for communities.
www.orbit.org.uk To find out more about how Orbit can work with you to Build Brighter Futures contact: Chris Jones Divisional Development Director chris.jones@orbit.org.uk
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PARTNERSHIPS
Coventry has always been proud to work in partnership in all aspects of regeneration. Noella Pio Kivlehan investigates
C
oventry city centre is undergoing a radical £1 billion regeneration to transform it into a 21st century city. The ambitious plans include 200,000sq m of retail and office space, public buildings, green spaces and environmental features. To achieve these plans, launched in March 2009, the masterplan needs the collaboration of many different partners. Key among these are Coventry City Council, Advantage West Midlands (AWM), the Homes and Communities Agency and private sector partners. At the launch of the city centre masterplan the council leader, Ken Taylor says: “Agreeing a masterplan is a massive step forward for the city, helping us to guide the development over the coming years. It sets the standard and binds all partners into working together to create one coherent city centre that works for its people and its businesses.” Cabinet has agreed that the first phase of development will be the south section of the city centre, comprising the City Arcade, Hertford Street and Market Way. David Cockroft, assistant director for city centre and development services at the council comments: “Cabinet has backed plans to go south and we will now proceed with completing a collaboration agreement together with the major landowners in the area.” The council wants to form a joint venture with the landowners and a preferred development partner will be sought from the autumn of 2010, when the joint venture will go out to tender via the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).
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COVENTRY’S PARTNERSHIPS coventry central city_issue 4 25
PARTNERSHIPS
➜
Regeneration and development
➜
MIPIM
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Business
➜
Skills and employability
26 coventry central city_issue 4
In February 2009, Advantage West Midlands (AWM) announced it was committing up to £40 million to help drive the 10-year plan to revitalise Coventry city centre. AWM’s chief executive, Mick Laverty said at the time: “I am delighted we have been able to commit £40 million to provide a catalyst to this major redevelopment. Our interventions and work with partners will help to provide essential infrastructure and good quality buildings of a high design standard,
If anyone needs proof of Coventry’s assertion that it works well in partnership then they need look no further than The Coventry @ MIPIM Partnership. Coventry has had a presence at this internationally renowned commercial property show for more than 15 years, but in recent times it has become a force to be reckoned with – something that is down to its partnership approach. The council teams up with a range of propertyrelated firms who pool resources to give the city a greater impact at the show. It is a truly innovative
Coventry City Council has a clear strategy for encouraging business investment that targets nine key sectors. Four of these sectors; retail, office, relocating public sector agencies and property investors, focus on the city centre and the wider office and commercial life of the city. The remaining five sectors focus on the technological strengths of the city and include the automotive, aerospace, digital and creative, health care
Enterprising Coventry is one of the newest theme groups of the Coventry Partnership. It is designed to help unemployed people back into work, deliver business start-up support and also aid existing businesses. The Employment and Skills offer includes a range of services to people looking for a job. Local jobs brokers work with individuals to identify what personal support and training they require. This could include practical assistance with a particular job, work reparation and
which will attract major investment to the city, creating the right jobs and retaining the right skills to support its growth. “Our investment will also help create 9,000 new jobs for Coventry and will safeguard a further 3,000. We will also be reclaiming 15-hectares of brownfield land, which is either currently underused or derelict, to bring this back into economic use.”
and effective approach. According to councillor Ken Taylor, leader of the council, the show works on many different levels for Coventry: “We have taken a view over the years that it is essential as a developing city, to get the message out to the rest of world that we are very much open for business and MIPIM has undoubtedly helped us gain that reputation. “It allows us great access to leading figures in the property industry and several longstanding and valuable relationships have been started or nurtured through
and environmental technologies sectors. Advanced engineering and the low carbon agenda are also key themes here. These sectors are generating exciting investment opportunities and the city is proactive in attracting investment and working with partners, especially Coventry and Warwick universities, to build centres of excellence to support business/university collaboration.
bespoke training. Once in work ongoing support and further training can be available. The introduction of the Work and Families Act reflects the reality of a changing workforce and the need for organisations to adapt if they are to motivate, recruit and retain skilled employees. Support is on offer to help local companies to implement flexible working practices and policies. This includes advice and information about the wide range of work life balance options available, one-to-one support, seminars
“AWM’s investment will help create 9,000 new jobs and safeguard 3,000”
our presence at the show. But just as importantly – or in some way more importantly – it allows us to show companies who are currently involved with the city or looking to work here that we mean business. “The word partnership is overused, but the MIPIM effort is genuinely that – a partnership and it allows Coventry to punch above its weight.” One company that has been part of that partnership is Coventry-based commercial property agents Shortland Horne. Director David Penn comments: “We have a vested interest in the success of the city and that is
one of the primary reasons we have been part of the Coventry presence at MIPIM. “Not only are we able to make valuable contacts and get to see key people out there, we are also supporting the city and its ambitions. The city’s reputation in our industry has been massively enhanced by our presence there. It shows just how well the city works with the private sector.”
“The word partnership is overused but the MIPIM effort is genuinely that”
“Nine key sectors are generating exciting investment opportunities”
and workshops designed to help businesses keep up-todate with employment legislation. Workforce Development aims to increase both the skills base and employment levels within Coventry. Non biased support is available to help companies to identify training needs and to help them meet their business needs. Thanks to links with a consortium of learning providers, a number of flexible learning methods are available. Businesses may also qualify for help with the cost of the training.
“Enterprising Coventry helps unemployed people and delivers business start-up support” coventry central city_issue 4 27
HERITAGE
I Hidden
gems
Once one of the country’s medieval highlights, Coventry now has just a few medieval gems, one of which is getting a makeover. Adrienne Margolis reports
28 coventry central city_issue 4
t is difficult to imagine Coventry looking like York. But that’s how it would have looked, had its city centre not been devastated in the Second World War. What had been considered a prime medieval city is now associated with postwar architecture. “Coventry would have taken a different direction with a greater emphasis on tourism,” Andy Duncan, team leader for environmental regeneration at the council, believes. One area – Far Gosford Street, just outside the centre – did survive the bombing. There are now plans to turn it into an economic and visitor hub. “It is a medieval suburb, not in the modern sense of semi-detached houses but in the sense of being extramural, beyond the city wall,” George Demidowicz, the council’s conservation officer, explains: “Gosford Street and Far Gosford Street were split by the River Sherbourne. In the 15th century, a wall was built there and a gate. Most of the area within the walls was badly damaged in the Second World War, including Gosford Street. But Far Gosford Street escaped by sheer chance.” The devastation meant that the city centre had to be redeveloped on a massive scale, but Far Gosford Street gives us a great illustration of what the streets looked like. After the war, the Far Gosford Street area prospered as a shopping district, but it fell into decline when Sky Blue Way – the main road out of the city to Rugby and Leicester – cut if off from the centre. It was declared a conservation area in 1992. Now, a £20 million five-year project is under way to restore listed buildings, add new office buildings and a hotel, and convert an industrial estate into a creative village. “We have been concentrating on significant groups of listed buildings, including medieval timber-framed buildings,” Demidowicz says. “A lot of the heritage was hidden because many
of the buildings have been re-fronted. But we now have Heritage Lottery funding and matched funding from Europe to restore historic buildings and improve the district.” Demidowicz has researched how Far Gosford Street was formed in medieval times and discovered that the plot sizes are almost unchanged. “They are still small-scale because they were on the outskirts of the city,” he says. “We discovered that, by looking at the buildings, we could tell where the historic boundaries were. You can do this almost the whole length of the street, and we are considering putting plaques along the street so that people are able to identify the original plots.” The records discovered in the council archives allow us to identify who owned and occupied each property in the street from medieval times onwards. They are some of the most complete records of property ownership available in the region, Ian Harrabin of Complex Development Projects (CDP) points out. CDP is a specialist developer, working with the council on the restoration project. Harrabin is from the area, and his company has been working on plans to regenerate Far Gosford Street for ten years. Many buildings in the street were given new facades in the 1920s, but surprisingly still have timber buildings set behind them. “If the street had been part of the city’s 1960s and 1970s growth, most of the buildings in the street would have been demolished,” Harrabin says. One reason it has taken so long to comprehensively regenerate Far Gosford Street is because of the huge number of individual ownerships. With lottery funding, the project has been designated a Townscape Heritage Initiative, providing the funding to enable the holistic restoration of the conservation area. “We have to make sure that listed buildings
ABOVE: Detailed plans for Far Gosford Street’s Sky Blue Way elevation. LEFT and below: Much of the original timber framework is hidden from view.
are restored and shopfronts are returned to their historic state,” Harrabin explains. With so many properties involved, the project has taken a huge amount of council management time. “Because of the number of ownerships it’s been difficult to secure the land for any new development,” Duncan admits. “The street needs comprehensive regeneration and to achieve this we’ve had to take out a compulsory purchase order (CPO) involving about 40 different ownerships as a last resort. Although I hope many of the owners will work with us without the need for CPO.” Architectural practice PCPT has been brought in to advise people who want to develop ➜
“In order to totally restore the 16th century timberframed buildings, we had to bring in traditional craftsmen and use green oak”
coventry central city_issue 4 29
HERITAGE
“We have to make sure that listed buildings are restored and shopfronts are returned to their historic state”
below: Many of the shop fronts are in need of redevelopment.
30 coventry central city_issue 4
projects and to advise on planning applications. “We have been implementing the plan for about a year. We are also working with the council on public spaces and art features,” David Mahony, managing director of PCPT says. He agrees that multiple ownership is a fundamental problem with developing the area. “We spend a lot of time on the land registry. It may mean serving notice on eight or nine people because of the long narrow plots for one planning application.” Work in the area started in earnest in 2009. The flagship project is a group of listed timberframed buildings. Another group of early 19th century buildings are also being restored. “In order to totally restore the 16th century timber-framed buildings, we had to bring in traditional craftsmen and use green oak,” Demidowicz says. “A lot of the skills are being lost and we are trying to maintain them. There are timber-framed buildings in rural areas and a surge in new timber framed building using green oak, so hopefully these skills can still be used. We are also proposing to create a new
building in the street using green oak.” An arts and crafts building has also been refurbished. “The brick and stone detailing on it make it special,” Demidowicz says. The aim is not just to restore buildings as a reminder of the city’s heritage. “One of the council’s priorities is to generate employment in the creative industries to counteract the decline of the car industry,” Duncan says. “The Far Gosford Street area has a new vibrancy, due to an increasing number of students in the area. It means we can designate a creative and business quarter near the city centre with quirky historic buildings in it, which is unusual for Coventry.” It is also an opportunity to add new buildings. CDP has brought in architects Bryant Priest Newman to refurbish the buildings on Far Gosford Street Industrial Estate. A creative village, including a market, independent retail, artists’ studios, a gallery, a live music venue, a bar and a performance space, is planned. The development, to be called FarGo, is a joint venture between Advantage West Midlands and CDP intended to boost the local economy. The concept is based on Truman’s Brewery in London’s Brick Lane and The Forum in Devonshire Street in Sheffield. “We already have the university’s Institute for Creative Enterprise onboard and see creative industries as an important factor contributing to economic growth,” Duncan says. A second phase of Far Gosford Street’s redevelopment in 2010 will include building office space and a hotel close to the site of the old Gosford Gate. The latter will change the road layout. “There will be a reduction in road space which creates a site for a new hotel. This will repair the damage that was caused when the ring road was built,” Harrabin says. A lot of money is also being spent on improving public spaces. “We are trying to concentrate on creating courtyards that are accessed through the old alleyways. We are also creating a public space at the bottom of the street where the old gate was, and we want to make a reference to that,” Mahony says. The entire project has required a huge amount of consultation with both businesses and local people. Regular meetings are held with a business forum and a community forum. “The plan has generally been well received and the response has been very positive, especially since it will tackle key things like crime and rubbish clearance,” Harrabin says. Cost and complexity make restoration of this type unusual. But it offers great advantages. “Long-term, if it can be financed and you have the tenacity to see it through, you have something more sustainable,” Duncan believes. “If we can create an attractive area, we hope that in the future it will draw in visitors, as well as being somewhere businesses can thrive.” ❑
Are you helping to transform Coventry? Make sure everyone knows. ISSUE 04 2010 www.centralcitymagazine.com
Coventry Central City
FUTURE PERFECT
Coventry is moving on and starting the masterplan ball rolling
MARTIN YARDLEY
An in-depth interview with the man masterminding Coventry’s future
HISTORIC HIGHLIGHTS
Far Gosford Street’s heritage takes centre stage
THE REGENERATION OF COVENTRY
www.centralcitymagazine.com Use Coventry Central City magazine to promote your company and its work to more than 35,000 regeneration professionals. Contact Lee Harrison 020 7978 6840
SURGE
Lacking research intelligence for your projects, policies and strategic thinking? SURGE’s holistic approach to consultancy uniquely combines economic and social regeneration expertise with academically rigorous and practitioner‑focused research.
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key feature of our work is that it has a direct impact and makes a difference by informing regeneration policy and practice; whether through commissioned research by government and non‑governmental departments and agencies, or through the provision of professional development training. Our work is also very much people‑focused; either indirectly through them being beneficiaries of our services, or directly through them shaping, participating and engaging in our research, consultancy and training activities. Moreover, we routinely share our findings with those who have contributed to our research projects, and we place a particular emphasis on publicising and applying the results of our work.
To find out more about how we can help inform your strategic thinking, visit our website or get in touch with one of our team.
regen.bes@coventry.ac.uk 024 7679 5793
www.coventry.ac.uk/surge/consultancy 32 coventry central city_issue 4
PROJECTS 1. friargate
Long-term plans for this site will transform the area opposite the train station over the next 10-15 years.
2. far Gosford street
One of Coventry’s prized heritage areas is undergoing a facelift to create a new cultural quarter.
3. belgrade plaza
4
The first two phases of this development are now complete.
4. Swanswell 3 2
This project will create 2,000 new homes alongside a new health facility, education and office space.
1
project update An overview of the projects that are set to transform Coventry’s city centre. What’s happening, where and when... ➜ coventry central city_issue 4 33
PROJECTS
This is one of the biggest opportunities Coventry and the city centre have got to regenerate in the last 50 years
Friargate Following considerable public consultation activities, Friargate Coventry LLP has been granted outline planning approval for the redevelopment of the 15-hectare site next to the city’s train station. The 10-15 year project will transform the area from an under utilised location at the heart of the city into a commercially-focused, mixed-use hive of activity, capable of attracting previously unattainable levels of inward investment into the area. Designed by architects Allies and Morrison, the scheme’s masterplan details that the site could accommodate around 300,000sq m of high quality development, the majority of which would be grade A office space, likely to be delivered across 14 buildings. Also included in the plan is the creation of two hotels, new residential space, remodelled areas of public space and new areas suitable for retail and leisure developments. Barry Butterworth, special projects manager at Coventry City Council, says: “It is one of the biggest and best opportunities Coventry and the city centre have got in terms of regenerating itself in the last 50 years. The end result is a huge area of land, previously in fragmented ownership, which is now virtually under single ownership. It has an excellent location next to the West Coast Mainline station, and is less than an hour from London by train. “We are trying to expand the city centre up towards the train station. There will be high quality offices, something Coventry currently has not got, there will be cafes and restaurants; it will have a vibrant feel. We are dragging the retail and commercial hearts of the city together. There will no longer be a barrier between the train station and the rest of the city centre. You will see directly into the heart of the city centre upon arrival.” 34 coventry central city_issue 4
TOP: An aerial shot of the Friargate development site.
above: Architect Allies and Morrison’s plans for Friargate.
Far Gosford Street This historic area has huge potential, which is about to be realised through a dramatic regeneration programme. Far Gosford Street will be transformed into a vibrant creative quarter, covering over six-hectares. The area’s regeneration will create something truly unique, as it centres on the unveiling of the street’s remarkable 16th century buildings. And progress is already well under way. October 2009 saw completion reached on the redevelopment of the Hand and Heart pub and the neighbouring grade II listed buildings. The famous old pub’s new role is to provide restaurant and residential space that will bring new people into the area. Completion on the Hand and Heart project, which is the first of many set to take place, coincided with confirmation of an additional £1.2 million of funding from the European Regional Development Fund, which will go towards the restoration of the street’s other historically significant buildings. Plans are in place to create a new hotel, further business space suitable for digital, media and creative enterprises and to improve use of public and derelict land in the area. Andy Duncan, team leader of environmental regeneration, says: “We have lost so many historic buildings in the past in Coventry, which is something we bear in mind when we’re working on Far Gosford Street. It is also why a lot of attention and resources are being allocated towards the project. It is recognised that this area is one of the last opportunities we have to preserve a piece of Coventry’s history for future generations. “We also have to make sure the regenerated area has an economic purpose. We believe that the focus on creative businesses is the right choice for the area to succeed in this way. It is already attracting small creative enterprises who are taking advantage of the great location next to the university and on the edge of the city centre.”
We have to preserve a piece of Coventry’s history for future generations
➜ ABOVE and this picture: Plans for Far Gosford Street will breathe new life into the area.
coventry central city_issue 4 35
#ONTACT $AVID (OLT
#ONTACT #HARLES 4OOGOOD
PROJECTS
We’re really happy with what’s been done and we are confident it is going to continue to be a successful development
Belgrade Plaza Work continues on the 1.4-hectare mixed-use Belgrade Plaza scheme, which fought off competition from projects around the country to scoop the coveted Premier Guarantee Excellence Award for best mixed-use development in 2009. Following on from the opening of the Premier Inn, 2009 saw the completion and opening of the development’s new public square. Adjacent to the theatre, Belgrade Square includes tiered lawns, a granite water feature, seating areas and a walkway connecting it to the award-winning car park. With the completion of this phase attention now switches to negotiations regarding the third phase of this landmark development, which could include student accommodation, residential space and leisure facilities. Jordan Ryan, business development manager at Deeley Construction, says his company is pleased with what has been achieved on the £130 million project: “We’re really happy with what’s been done. It has gone down very well, and we are confident it is going to continue to be a successful development. It has brought regeneration to an area of the city that was in need of it.” ➜
BELOW: The new Bella Italia opened in 2009, part of the first phase of development.
coventry central city_issue 4 37
PROJECTS
Swanswell The Swanswell area of the city is to be transformed over the coming years into a sustainable, productive quarter thanks to the addition of 2,000 new homes, a new health facility, new learning facilities and additional office space creating 7,000 jobs. And progress is already under way. Situated in two state-of-the-art buildings on Swanswell Street sits the completed, and fully operational, City College. In addition tower blocks have been taken down in Hillfields, Lower Ford Street provides the backdrop for a series of new homes, and planning permission has been granted for the Sidney Stringer Academy and the City Centre Health Facility. Construction has started on the new academy and Innovation and Enterprise Centre, which is set to open its doors in September 2010, in time for the new school year, and work is expected to start on the health facility in spring 2010, with completion anticipated by winter 2011. Further plans for the area include a new Salvation Army centre, for which a planning application has been submitted, and an Extended Learning Centre located within the Swanswell Learning Quarter. Duncan Elliott, head of the Swanswell Initiative, comments: “It is a very disadvantaged area that has not received much investment over the past few decades. We are delivering a brand new school, a state-of-theart health facility, a new college, and a few other much needed developments. The facilities we are delivering are hugely needed, and very appropriate for the area.” ❑
RIGHT: The City College building is complete. The Innovation and Enterprise Centre will open later this year.
38 coventry central city_issue 4
The facilities we are delivering are hugely needed, and very appropriate for the area
2. 3.
1.
A TRACK RECORD THAT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF With over 14 years of developing landmark schemes from stunning, modern offices to the sensitive refurbishment of treasured listed buildings, Stoford has the experience and know-how to create bespoke buildings with green credentials. We are currently on site with BREEAM Excellent rated office schemes in Coventry with the new £60M Severn Trent Centre; Stafford with the £35M County Hall and West Bromwich with the £70M All Saints regeneration scheme. No wonder then that Stoford won the prestigious Regeneration Award at the Insider Property Awards, West Midlands 2009. For a refreshing, innovative and can-do approach to business simply talk to us, today. 1. Severn Trent Centre Coventry 2. All Saints West Bromwich 3. County Hall Stafford
EXCELLENT
Stoford Developments Ltd Lancaster House 67 Newhall Street Birmingham B3 1NQ t: 0121 234 6699 f: 0121 236 8148 e: mail@stoford.com www.stoford.com
CASE STUDY: EARLSDON PARK
Park life
One of Coventry’s newest buildings is now up and running. Earlsdon Park, the new home of the QCDA was created by MCD. Kirsty MacAulay finds out what those involved think of it Andrew hall, QCDA
Jennifer Price, MCD “MCD is very keen on sustainable development, it’s part and parcel of what we do. It’s been great for us to work with QCDA to provide the BREEAM excellent building we’ve got now. It’s a very exciting project to be involved with. “The main philosophy was reducing energy and water usage. Rainwater is harvested and we’ve designed the atrium in the middle, to let natural light and ventilation into the heart of the building. Top-up energy is provided by a heat pump with 200m deep bore holes. It’s a good building actually, I’m proud of it. It’s a showcase, to demonstrate what MCD is capable of doing. We’re hoping to take the technology and the lessons we’ve learned from this building on to our next scheme. “We’re talking to potential occupiers for the office space in the next phase about increasing the sustainability of that area. They’ve seen what we’ve done at the QCDA building, they like it and want us to try and do the same for them – it makes sense for the occupier as it cuts running costs quite substantially. “The overall finish and quality of the building has exceeded most people’s expectations – feedback has been really positive, ‘London quality brought to Coventry’ was one of the comments! We’re delighted with the project. It’s a large project and it’s got some momentum (we’re moving on to the next phase already) and I think that’s what Coventry needs. They need to see progress and good quality tenants like the QCDA and Premier Inn moving in to Coventry, it really does add confidence to see that things are progressing on all fronts for the city.” 40 coventry central city_issue 4
“Earlsdon Park offers the QCDA modern, cutting-edge office space that is both functional and eco-friendly. The offices have been specifically designed to achieve an excellent BREEAM rating for the low environmental impact and sustainable design. “Coventry is facing the need to change head on. Over the coming years Coventry will become one of the best places to live and work. With this in mind QCDA’s move to the city was perfect for both our staff and their families. Coventry City Council provided us with a brilliant relocation service, which gave the QCDA and its staff confidence in the move. Over 500 staff who are relocating have been given a dedicated support officer and welcome packs on the city and the surrounding areas. Coventry City Council also offered staff the opportunity to attend welcome session and tours of the city centre to show them what Coventry had to offer. “Our new home, a nine-storey building, is part of a wider £110 million regeneration scheme at Earlsdon Park which will, in the future, incorporate residential apartments, bars, shops and a theatre. “Earlsdon Park will give the QCDA a fantastic home in a great city with many benefits for the work we undertake and also the staff.”
Earlsdon Park is a good building, it’s a showcase to demonstrate what MCD is capable of doing
LEFT: The new QCDA building has set a high benchmark for Coventry’s regeneration.
Earlsdon Park is effectively first out of the traps, part of the wider regeneration, but very much leading it
John Griffiths, GBR property consultants
David greenhill, BBlb architects “With the masterplan we were trying to get it to be mixeduse suitable for the location. We wanted to get high quality and high design in there and we wanted to make a nice place for people to work, live and be. “The existing building, which has a really nice character to it, was important to the scheme, as it has a clear identity. It holds a strong resonance in the area. We worked around this, and we also wanted to expose the existing theatre too. We have stripped the site back to the nice core elements that were already in place and built on that. “We are absolutely satisfied with what we have done at Earlsdon Park, and we think it will have a beneficial ripple effect for the city. Coventry does need regeneration, and we think there is a lot of future work in the city. The great thing is that the city is really going to benefit from the work taking place. We think we have done a great job on this early stage project, and it is great that the QCDA have moved in as part of a government relocation.”
“The fact it’s located in the city centre is an absolute key draw. It’s got the access to public transport and amenities that you simply don’t have with out of town or edge of town developments. “There is a huge amount of regeneration planned for Coventry, which is drawing people to the city. But Earlsdon Park is effectively first out of the traps, part of the wider regeneration, but very much leading it. “Undoubtedly the sustainability of the building is a selling point. MCD has set the benchmark for the Coventry market that others will follow. It’s putting Earlsdon Park firmly on the map as one of the key schemes in the city. There was strong competition to secure the QCDA deal. There is a lot of talk about availability of space – there’s not a huge amount of office space in Coventry, it’s almost a victim of its own success. This development is critical for Coventry promoting itself as a centre for relocation for public sector organisations. “People are absolutely interested in the design of a building. It’s fantastic what’s been achieved with the QCDA building and the space works incredibly well. It’s not the biggest office building ever but it delivers sustainability and great space. “Earlsdon Park is a very important development for Coventry. It’s happening and it’s happening now. With the economic difficulties at the moment it’s understandable that projects have slowed down but it makes it even more important for those projects that are happening. It’s bringing new jobs into Coventry, it’s proper inward investment into the city at a time that it is needed. “We want to be involved with credible, deliverable schemes that are appropriate to the occupier and Earlsdon Park fits that bill.”
coventry central city_issue 4 41
Introducing Coventry’s new creative village For too long, Coventry’s vibrant creative sector has remained one of its best kept secrets. This highly active community, fed by two universities with over 35,000 students, has remained disparate and largely unseen. Plans to change this are well underway with the establishment of the city’s creative quarter in Far Gosford Street, next to Coventry University’s city centre campus. Branded as FarGo, the Quarter is set to become the home of the alternative – a buzzing area of specialist galleries, music venues shops, restaurants, offices and studios. The concept is based on areas like Camden and Brick Lane in London and will be anchored by a weekend market with live street performance. The city’s first designer hotel will form the gateway to the area. Ian Harrabin, the man behind the vision explains: “FarGo will bring creativity out of the shadows, to interface with the public and draw in the crowds. This street’s got ‘cred’, it is already home to some cool restaurants and shops, but there is scope for much much more.” “This ‘bohemian area’ is intended to encourage the growth of a community, with a freedom of thought and expression that is not obvious in the rest of the city centre. So far I have been knocked out by the spectrum of business interest ranging from IT to theatre.” For information on FarGo contact the Creative Hub +44 (0)24 7678 6297/8 www.fargosfordstreet.com
MARKETS
£1bn VITAL STATISTICS The latest on the office, leisure, retail and residential sectors in Coventry by David Gray
15.2%
ECONOMIC BACKGROUND Coventry is a resilient city with many economic strengths and, as such, is well placed to ride out the recession. Renowned for its manufacturing and engineering excellence, Coventry’s revival in the mid-1990s was based on moving towards high-technology activity and, while continuing that strategy, Coventry is now focusing on new opportunities in the science, medical and environmental sectors. Richard Smith, regional director for Lloyds RSB corporate markets, strongly believes that businesses in Coventry can take advantage of opportunities for future growth. The reasons, he explains, include: “The drive to attract technology-based businesses to the area, Coventry’s unrivalled position at the heart of the UK’s automotive industry, plus the fact that 7% of the city’s economic activity comes from the growing medical technology sector.” He also identifies “the ambitious £1 billion plans for the city centre which can only encourage businesses to invest here”. More positive news comes from Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s economic survey in October 2009. Carried out by Myles Mackie this reports Coventry’s firms expect recovery in 2010 and claims “the local economy is heading in the right direction”. More businesses in both service and manufacturing sectors anticipate increasing employee numbers than at any time since the downturn began. Two of the strongest factors in Coventry’s favour are its prime geographic location and ➜ coventry central city_issue 4 43
MARKETS
21.6% the wealth of skilled workers living in and around the city. ONS figures for 2009 show 15.2% of Coventry’s workforce in professional occupations, higher than the rest of the West Midlands (12.7%) and nationally (13.1%). The city’s resident population (309,800) includes 145,300 who are economically active and there is also a higher than average working age population. Manufacturing accounts for 12.3% of local employment (10.6% nationally), but Coventry also has a larger share of employment in finance, IT and business services (21.6%) than elsewhere in the region (19.0%). The largest employment sector is in public services, education and health (29.8%).
surprisingly well. Harvey Williams, Coventry and Warwickshire regional spokesman for the RICS, says: “The area is proving yet again to have incredible resilience. Estate agents are reporting a shortage in houses for sale and that is seeing prices not only stabilise but rise.” David Shortland, director of Shortland Horne, also reports a positive turnaround in the market, especially in the city centre. “We have seen a substantial rise in inquiries and viewings,” he says. “The main restriction is the number of properties coming onto the market and, with fewer new homes being built, demand will soon outstrip supply.” In public and social housing, Coventry is pressing ahead with its strategy of boosting housing in the centre as well as transforming estates around the city. One of the largest regeneration schemes is at Canley, approved by the council in September 2009. A new leisure centre and school have already been built in the area and the plans are for new homes, community facilities and a park.
RESIDENTIAL MARKET Coventry’s housing saw a steady rise in owner occupation from 69% of households in 2001 to 74% by 2008. Owner occupation and private rental had together reached 82.8% by 2008. The Land Registry reports the average property sale price in Coventry falling 12.7% from £122,868 in September 2008 to £107,211 in September 2009. Looking at the different property types, figures for detached houses were £246,333, semi-detached £133,553, terraced £93,781 and flats/maisonettes £83,497 (September 2009). Local property demand has held up
AVERAGE HOME PRICES BUILDING TYPE
Detached
Semi-detached
Terrace
Flats/maisonettes
All types
£246,333
£133,553
£93,781
£83,497
£107,211
SOURCE: LAND REGISTRY – SEPTEMBER 2009
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Coventry’s location has encouraged an excellent network of business parks and industrial estates OFFICE AND INDUSTRIAL MARKET The commercial property market in Coventry remains stronger in the industrial, warehouse and distribution sectors than for offices, where there is a longstanding shortage of grade A space. Although overshadowed by Birmingham in the office sector, Coventry’s location has encouraged an excellent network of business parks and industrial estates, not least Prologis Park by the M6 and the Science Park at the University of Warwick. The city has a particularly good supply of premises for small-tomedium sized businesses and the new online property search service run by Coventry City Council was listing 400 available properties in November 2009. Coventry’s available grade A office space costs considerably less than in nearby Birmingham – £15 or less per sq ft compared to at a price of least £20 per sq ft. The price of warehouse space has held up in the past year and costs £5-6 per sq ft, while serviced office accommodation in shared premises is widely available at £12-14 per sq ft. Significant recent developments in the commercial sector include the completion of Whitley Business Park’s first phase and approval for redeveloping the former Jaguar site at Browns Lane. Whitley Park is a 37.5-hectare site being regenerated by
£1bn 880,000sq ft COVENTRY: FACTS AND FIGURES POPULATION:. 309,800, with 145,300 economically active TRAVEL LESS THAN 5KM TO WORK:. 67,253 people GRADE A OFFICE SPACE:. Coventry £15 per sq ft; Birmingham £20 per sq ft NEW OFFICE SPACE IN CITY CENTRE BY 2026:. Over 3 million sq ft
St Modwen to provide up to 1.1 million sq ft of office and industrial space. The first phase consists of 50,000sq ft in six grade A buildings designed for flexible occupation. Mark Watkins, St Modwen’s development surveyor, anticipates rapid lettings due to “pent-up demand for new offices in Coventry. Whitley provides an ideal location in which to secure an impressive company headquarters or regional office building.” The Jaguar site (30-hectares) will be developed by Goodman in partnership with Advantage West Midlands. It will include up to 880,000sq ft of industrial and distribution space as well as 75,000sq ft of office space and more than 170 homes. By offering new commercial space, Coventry can continue to attract incomers. Recent and upcoming arrivals include Home Delivery Network and the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority. Meanwhile, Severn Trent Water topped out its new 170,000sq ft operations centre in November 2009. This will house 1,700 staff in one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the country. Michelle Egan, partnerships manager at Advantage West Midlands, comments: “This scheme is a major opportunity for the area’s highly skilled workforce. It is tremendously important – particularly at a time of economic uncertainty – that Coventry is able to attract and retain high value companies and high quality jobs.”
RETAIL AND LEISURE MARKET Coventry still has some way to go to improve its retail offer, which does not reflect the relative affluence of its catchment area. The city was ranked 41st in the country in Experian’s retail rankings (2008) but should move higher when the West Orchards shop-
ping centre, now contolled by Ciref, completes its planned expansion. The upside of Coventry’s retail performance is that rents are considerably less than in competing regional centres. According to Colliers CRE, city centre units in 2009 rent below £170 per sq ft, much less than the £300-plus per sq ft level in central Birmingham. During the past year, rents have fallen and voids risen in Coventry city centre, but Colliers West Midlands office reports this in line with national trends and not as bad as regions such as Yorkshire and the North East. Coventry’s leisure facilities are being considerably improved. The Belgrade Plaza project saw its Premier Inn hotel, Bella Italia and Pizza Express open late in 2009. CDP’s Priory Place development, also in the city centre, is now fully let. BBC Coventry and Warwickshire is already based at Priory Place. Work is under way on the transformation of the historic Far Gosford Street into a vibrant cultural quarter and centre for creative enterprise. This involves the conversion of listed buildings at Gosford Gate and the final development will include a new hotel at the entrance to the street. ❑
37.5 -hectare
coventry central city_issue 4 45
CONTACTS
For more information about Coventryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regeneration contact: Martin Yardley 024 7683 1200 martin.yardley@coventry.gov.uk David Cockroft 024 7683 3575 david.cockroft@coventry.gov.uk Deirdre Fitzhugh 024 7683 1228 deirdre.fitzhugh@coventry.gov.uk
46 coventry central city_issue 4
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regeneration realised
PROLOGIS PARK COVENTRY
BEFORE
This prestigious Park has created thousands of jobs and has significantly contributed to the regeneration of north Coventry.
Developed on the site of a former colliery, ProLogis Park Coventry has become one of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most successful business parks.
last remaining unit & land available for sale with built to suit opportunities
AFTER
ProLogis has invested ÂŁ18 million in the road network and on-site rail freight facility to create easy access for everyone based at the Park; logistics operators, manufacturers, office workers and residents alike.
UNIT H2
PLOT J
for latest information and to download UNIT H2, PLOT J and PLOT A brochures please visit
www.prologiscoventry.co.uk
PLOT A