COVENTRY city centre LISTED
ENTIRE AREA COULD BECOME CONSERVATION REGION UNDER HERITAGE ACTION ZONES PLAN
Making the most of our listed buildings will attract more tourists, reinvigorate local areas and grow local economies. Heritage minister Tracey Crouch
COVENTRY city centre could be given listed status as a conservation area following a move by the Government and Historic England to establish ten Heritage Action Zones across the country.
Coventry will claim a share of a £6 million funding pot aimed at preserving key historic sites, promoting growth and bringing in more tourists.
The countrywide initiative aims to see listed buildings that have been neglected restored and brought back into use as housing, retail or community spaces.
In addition conservation areas will be improved to kickstart regeneration and historic sites developed as visitor attractions.
The first move for Coventry Heritage Action Zone will be to conduct a Historic Area Assessment, with a view to potentially registering the city centre, making it one of only a handful of post-war conservation areas in the country.
Key aims are to improve the environment, with the help of grants, in Lady Herbert’s Garden and The Burges conservation area for traders and visitors, removing it from the Heritage at Risk Register.
This will involve refurbishing shops, including conserving the historic fabric of the shop-fronts and facades.
The improvements aim to bring abandoned upper floors back into use as housing and enhance the public realm. The conservation work will provide learning and employment opportunities through traditional building and crafts apprenticeships. Another aim is to look for and uncover medieval fabric still existing within buildings in the city. Historic England’s Coventry action plan states: “We will boost Coventry’s image and prosperity by celebrating our outstanding heritage whilst promoting new investment and development in support of sustainable growth. “Using the historic environment as a catalyst, we’ll strengthen the city’s economy and meet the social needs of our community. We’ll transform Coventry through heritage.”
Coventry Heritage Action Zone will work in tandem with several existing initiatives, including a current Heritage Lottery Fund/Arts Council England Great Places application and City of Culture bid.
Partners include Coventry City Council, the Historic Coventry Trust, Coventry Cathedral, Culture Coventry, Coventry & Warwickshire LEP, Coventry City of Culture Trust and Coventry University. The initiative will see Coventry joined by Appleby, Elsecar, Hull Old Town, King’s Lynn, Nottingham, Ramsgate, Sunderland, Sutton and Weston- super-Mare Heritage Action Zones are included in The Culture White Paper which was published last year.
Heritage Minister Tracey Crouch said: “Our heritage and historic buildings are beautiful assets that make our towns and cities unique.
“They tell the story of a town’s past and should be protected and cherished, and this scheme will bring communities together to appreciate their local heritage. Making the most out of our listed buildings will attract more tourists, reinvigorate local areas, and grow local economies, meaning residents and businesses across the country will benefit.’