Coventry city centre regeneration plot gets £12m boost

An artist rendition of what City Centre South may look like once completed

A city centre is set to undergo a large transformation after £12.24m of funding was approved.

The project sees outdated parts of Coventry, including Bull Yard, Shelton Square, City Arcade, and Hertford Street being regenerated.

Plans, which cover 6.3 hectares of land, make way for 1,575 new homes, 20% of which will be affordable housing.

Work starts this year and the first occupants are expected to move in by 2027.

New retail and leisure spaces, a community health centre and potential for a hotel with 150 rooms in the second phase also make up the plans.

The project will be completed in stages and the first phase completion is expected to be in 2031.

The announcement brings the West Midlands Combined Authority's (WMCA) total funding for City Centre South to £113m - the biggest investment the combined authority has made into a single regeneration scheme.

Coventry City Council is investing £32m.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: "This is an exciting time for Coventry as this brownfield redevelopment represents a landmark investment and significant regeneration opportunity - the likes of which this city has not seen for decades."