£1bn regeneration of Coventry city centre a step closer

[dutchman]

Drivers Jonas Deloitte or DJD have been chosen to lead the team looking to revamp the shopping areas in the rundown south of the city centre.



It covers places like Shelton Square, Hertford Street and the City Arcade.

Last year it was announced the area was to be the first to be redeveloped as part of the £1 billion pound regeneration of the city centre first planned by international architects Jerde.

Now DJD is on board the plan is to apply for outline planning permission for their part of the scheme within the next 12 months.

In all, the transformation of the city centre is expected to take 20 years to finish.

Cllr Linda Bigham, Cabinet Member for City Development, said: “This is great news, and proves that Coventry is a forward-looking city.

“Drivers Jonas Deloitte will lead a team of professionals to present a viable scheme and advise us on all aspects of a development with the aim of obtaining outline permission.

“By working together we can prepare a great deal before we go out to developers and that will make the opportunity far more attractive and bring a degree of certainty. We consulted widely over the masterplan for the city centre and have a clear indication of what people would like to see.”

David Cockroft, Assistant Director for City Centre and Development Services for Coventry Council, said: “A vibrant city centre is vital to the economy of the city and this is a key step in that process.

“While a scheme would not be ‘oven ready’, a massive amount of work will have been completed which will make it much more attractive and achievable for a developer. We have already had talks with potential development partners and that will continue while this work goes ahead.”