Coventry and Warwickshire goes to MIPIM – the world’s major property development and investment show – with the largest regeneration agenda in its history at the event.
The major schemes announced since the turn of the year along with longer established regeneration targets will form the basis of the region’s presence at the MIPIM event – which stretches back more than 20 years.
Plans for the City Centre South mixed-use development will be on show to an international audience, following hot on the heels of the news that Coventry City Council has chosen London-based Shearer Property Group to deliver the ambitious scheme.
Shearer, which has created a successful restaurant offer at Cathedral Lanes in the city, will lead the £360 million development which will radically transform a large part of the city centre.
The 818,000 sq ft development will feature a major department store, three flagship stores, 50 new retail units, a hotel, cinema, restaurants and residential units.
Around £82 million is also being invested in Coventry station, which has seen the highest growth in rail passengers in the last five years outside London.
The expansion of the project, which has been financially supported by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) through the Growth Deal Fund, will include a new footbridge, a second entrance, a new multi-storey car park, a public transport interchange and highways improvement which will help in the delivery of the Friargate Masterplan.
A new bay platform will enable a new service to operate between Coventry and Nuneaton, and free up capacity on the existing line.
Plans to develop Nuneaton town centre will also be taken to the show along with the scheme which will see the regeneration of Old Town in Leamington, leading to a new creative quarter which will further add to the town’s international reputation in digital industries.
Plans to create an Innovation Campus at the University of Warwick’s 472-acre (191 hectares) site at Wellesbourne will also be showcased for the first time.
The presence at MIPIM is being backed by the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
Chairman Jonathan Browning said: “We have a varied and buoyant economy across a variety of sectors and a strong record in attracting inward investment. Our presence at MIPIM showcases that progress and underlines the opportunities which our area can offer.”
Les Ratcliffe, chairman of the Coventry and Warwickshire Champions, which is part of the Coventry and Warwickshire MIPIM Partnership – a group of companies and organisations which support the presence as part of UK Midlands at the four-day show – said the plans reflected the economic strength of the area.
“I think this is the strongest offer we have had in the time we have been to MIPIM,” he said.
“Coventry and Warwickshire has a booming economy across different sectors, and really notable improvements have already been made.
“The authorities, working together with the CWLEP, have developed a really good track record on delivery and that is now being powered by an ambition to build on that success with schemes which will bring lasting benefits and attract more investment.
“That is true right across Warwickshire from south to north, while the developments in Coventry city centre, which are taking place now, will help deliver a more vibrant city serving the rest of the area.
“We have developed a very strong offer and profile at MIPIM in recent years, and the schemes we are showcasing this year show that that ambition is now very much bearing fruit.”
Coventry’s bid to be UK City of Culture in 2021 – and the development opportunities it could bring – will also be highlighted through a series of events at the show.
Izzi Seccombe, leader of Warwickshire County Council, said: “The county council continues to support the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership at MIPIM and we look forward to building on progress made in recent years in promoting key developments including Nuneaton Town Centre.”
