Railway station revamp and new business park on cards for Coventry
MORE than £90 million of investment is to be poured into two major developments in Coventry city centre.
The cash will be used to kickstart two projects – the massive Friargate business park scheme and the redevelopment of Coventry railway station.
Funding has come from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) with £51 million going to Friargate and £39.4 million set aside for the station.
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “It is fantastic news that the WMCA is to help fund two developments that are of huge importance for Coventry.
“Exciting schemes such as these are part of the reason why Coventry is a city on the up, especially with it winning UK City of Culture in 2021.
“The more we can do to stimulate economic growth in the region with schemes like this to create jobs and prosperity, the better for people living and working here.”
The Friargate Masterplan is a mixed-use redevelopment scheme on 26 acres of land next to Coventry railway station that will provide a new business district for the city and create up to 15,000 jobs once com- plete. Phase One comprises office blocks and a hotel.
The first office block in the scheme, One Friargate, is already complete and occupied by Coventry City Council.
Coventry City George Duggins pleased that we funding.
“Our station is the fastest growing outside London and we are keen to help ensure Friargate gets moving. This cash will help with this, so it’s great news.
“Coventry is a fine city at the very heart of the UK so we need to make sure that our transport links are fit for the future so we can continue to five Council leader said: “I’m really have secured this attract investment and for local people.
“And by investing in Friargate we hope to ensure that building gets underway soon.
“Coventry is changing all the time and these two projects are at the very heart of our plans and central to our ambition to ensure our city continues to flourish.”
The Coventry Station Masterplan project will transform the current grade-II listed railway station, which is virtually unchanged since it opened in 1962 and now operating beyond passenger capacity.
The scheme will see new infrastructure including a second station building, a 644-space multi-storey create jobs car park – 350 more spaces than the current car park – and a new footbridge connecting all platforms.
There will be a new platform to enable more frequent services between Coventry and Nuneaton, a six-bay bus interchange with provision for rail replacement services, and highway improvements to deal with traffic around the station and bus interchange.
Completion is scheduled for 2020 and the new-look station will be able to handle more train services.
Longer term, it will potentially provide more direct services to the north east, including Leicester and Nottingham, and serve as a major gateway from Coventry to HS2.